tag:www.extension.org,2015:/feeds/content/creating%20healthy%20communitieseXtension Articles,Faqs- creating healthy communities2014-09-19T15:10:05ZContributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68712/andrew-b-crocker
Andrew B. Crocker 2014-09-19T15:06:48Z
<p><img height="260" width="446" alt="Andrew B. Crocker" title="Andrew B. Crocker" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/Andy-Crocker-bw4.jpg"></p>
<p>As Extension Program Specialist III – Gerontology and Health, Andy Crocker’s focus is to support education and outreach regarding the health and well-being of the aging population in the State of Texas. His main role is to support the County Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences in their outreach efforts to older adults, caregivers and the professionals who serve them.</p>
<p>Since joining AgriLife Extension in 2003, Mr. Crocker has worked to develop resources to help older adults improve their health literacy through communication with their health provider and better medication management; navigate the Internet and access reliable health information; and provide information and referral to grandparents rearing their grandchildren. He has also developed trainings for health professionals, Adult Protective Services caseworkers and other professionals on Alzheimer’s disease, end-of-life decision-making and maintaining independence, among others.</p>
<p>Mr. Crocker is the author of a six-lesson series intended to help older adults improve their memories through use of memory strategies, proper nutrition and medication management. He also serves as a leader for the national eXtension initiative in the Family Caregiving Community of Practice, Child and Family Learning Network and Military Families Learning Network – Military Caregiving. A popular conference speaker, Mr. Crocker is frequently sought to provide training to professionals and/or information to the public at conferences within Texas and throughout the nation. To-date, he has sought and received over $1.44M in competitive grant funding, including more than $892,000 as Principal Investigator.</p>
<p>Mr. Crocker serves on a number of boards throughout the State of Texas including the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee through the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services and the Texas Kincare Taskforce. He is a past recipient of Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Extension Service’s Superior Service Award and a two-time recipient of the Texas Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences’ Specialist Award for Distinguished Achievement.</p>
<p>Mr. Crocker earned a B.A. in Biology (2001) and an M.S. in Gerontology (2002) from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.</p>
<h2>Contact Information</h2>
<p>Andrew B. Crocker, M.S.</p>
<p>Extension Program Specialist III | Gerontology and Health</p>
<p>Family Development and Resource Management</p>
<p>Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Extension Service</p>
<p>Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Research and Extension Center – Amarillo</p>
<p>6500 Amarillo Boulevard, West | Amarillo, Texas 79106</p>
<p>p: 806.677.5600 | f: 806.677.5644 | e: <a href="mailto:ABCrocker@ag.tamu.edu" class="mailto_link">ABCrocker@ag.tamu.edu</a></p>
<p>Web: <a href="http://aging.tamu.edu" class="external_link">aging.tamu.edu</a> | Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/abcrocker" class="external_link">@abcrocker</a> | LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/abcrocker" class="external_link">abcrocker</a></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68932/julia-storm
Julia Storm 2014-06-13T18:43:42Z
<p><img height="200" width="200" class="media-element file-media-large" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Julia_Storm-200x200.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
<p>Julia Storm serves as Agromedicine Information Specialist at North Carolina State University and North Carolina Cooperative Extension. She is actively involved in the <a href="http://www.ncagromedicine.org" class="external_link">North Carolina Agromedicine Institute</a>, a partnership of East Carolina University, NC State University and NC A&amp;T State University, whose mission is to promote the health and safety of farmers, foresters, fishers, workers, and their families and communities through research, education, and outreach.</p>
<p>Julia grew up in a small town in East Tennessee. She went to school with classmates who helped their families grow small plots of tobacco and cabbage and raise chickens. One of her vivid childhood memories is of visiting her Sunday school teacher's family farm and being amazed at the farm chores--especially feeding the hogs. Although she didn't grow up on a farm, Julia has tremendous respect for farmers, farmworkers, and their families who do the tough and sometimes thankless job of bringing food to our tables. </p>
<p>College and career brought Julia to North Carolina. Her career has spanned working as an environmental chemist conducting safety and health research on pesticides, to working for a state water quality agency, and finally finding her home as an educator with Cooperative Extension. Her passion is having health and safety research make sense to people in their everyday lives, and helping people adopt practical, sustainable solutions for better health and safe workplaces.</p>
<p>Julia brings this passion, and respect for the people involved in agriculture, to developing engaging educational resources to help farmers and farmworkers stay safe at work. She's also involved in educational programs for rural health providers who serve the agricultural community. One of Julia's favorite programs is <a href="http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/agromedicine/CSF.cfm" class="external_link">Certified Safe Farm of NC</a>, a voluntary safety inspection that helps farmers identify safety hazards and provides incentives to help make safety and health improvements. Certified Safe Farm of NC collaborates with <a href="http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/agromedicine/AgriSafe.cfm" class="external_link">AgriSafe of NC</a> to help farmers get occupational health and wellness screenings and set health goals. Efforts are underway to expand these programs statewide. Another favorite project involves a collaboration with Dr. Catherine LePrevost in developing a colorful and interactive pesticide safety training for Spanish-speaking farmworkers, called the <a href=""><em>Pesticides and Farmworker Health Toolkit</em></a>.</p>
<p>Julia also enjoys collaborating with colleagues in the South and beyond on initiatives focusing on rural health, serving the Latino community, and cultural competency.</p>
<p><strong>Contact Information</strong></p>
<p>Julia F. Storm, MSPH</p>
<p>Agromedicine Information Specialist</p>
<p>Box 7617, Department of Applied Ecology, NC State University</p>
<p>Raleigh, NC 27695-7617</p>
<p><a href="mailto:julia_storm@ncsu.edu" class="mailto_link">julia_storm@ncsu.edu</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69940/alzheimers-disease:-a-current-and-looming-challenge
Alzheimer’s Disease: A Current and Looming Challenge 2014-01-22T16:38:26Z
<p><img alt="Older man and woman sharing a soda" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/alzheimers_CDC.jpg" width="722" height="336" title=""></p>
<p><br><strong>The scope of the challenge</strong><br>
A <a href="http://www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2013.pdf" class="external_link">new report</a> estimates that the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease will triple in coming decades, both globally and in the U.S., driven in large part by an aging global population.</p>
<p>Although <a href="http://nyti.ms/1bCZvVa" class="external_link">some research</a> softens those predictions and suggests the rate may fall as populations become healthier and better-educated, Alzheimer’s is already the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.</p>
<p>Currently, the disease <a href="http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp" class="external_link">can’t be prevented, cured, or slowed</a>. Half of the people who need <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/alzheimer-s-causes-half-of-long-term-care-cases-1.1861766" class="external_link">home-based or institutional long-term care</a> have Alzheimer’s.</p>
<p>In 2013, researchers estimate the direct costs of caring for Americans with Alzheimer’s at $203 billion; by 2050 they say that number could rise to $1.2 trillion.</p>
<p>In 2012, 15.4 million unpaid caregivers provided 17.5 billion hours of care, with an estimated value of around $216 billion. About 30 percent of today’s family caregivers fall into the “sandwich” category, simultaneously caring for an adult parent with dementia and dependent children.</p>
<p>These caregivers perform demanding, undervalued work. Family caregivers must sacrifice time, opportunity, and salary to care for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s, often at the expense of other relationships and the continuing education needed for career advancement.</p>
<p>This complex disease with its numerous inextricable social, economic, and political aspects, is bearing down on the global community, and experts say families, governments, and economies are ill-prepared to confront it.</p>
<p><strong>Cooperative Extension promotes awareness, health literacy, preparation, collaboration</strong><br>
Throughout the U.S., Cooperative Extension professionals address eldercare challenges with information, workshops, and conferences, and by partnering with a variety of organizations to provide the awareness, advocacy, information, and support families and their elders need.</p>
<p>Jatunn Gibson, assistant director of family and consumer sciences and formerly a gerontology specialist with Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University, says she sought master’s and Ph.D. degrees in public health, following a passion for caregiving that hearkens back to her days as an 8-year-old growing up a rural community, helping care for her great-grandmother who’d been paralyzed by a stroke.</p>
<p>“We didn't call it caregiving back then,” she says. “We didn’t have programs and institutional care for old and disabled people. It was just commitment to family. Everybody had to pitch in.”</p>
<p>Experts agree that both professional and unpaid family caregivers need information, training, and support to manage the complex dimensions of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To that end, “Here in Alabama, we've developed a 12-hour training for informal caregivers,” says Gibson.</p>
<p>“Also, Extension is one of few organizations that has a presence in every county in Alabama. By partnering with them, we can help promote the work of agencies that don’t have the funds to advertise their services.</p>
<p>“For example, we've become part of the <a href="http://www.alabamarespite.org/index.php/alabama-respite-coalition.html" class="external_link">Alabama Lifespan Respite Coalition</a>. We also partnered with the <a href="http://www.211connectsalabama.org" class="external_link">Alabama 211</a> information system, after realizing that if it’s the place people are supposed to go for information, and people don’t even know about it, it doesn’t exist.”</p>
<p>“Alzheimer’s is a huge economic challenge,” says Gibson. “Businesses and policy makers are going to have to wake up to the financial impacts as more and more workers, especially women, have to leave the workforce or limit their hours to make time for providing eldercare.</p>
<p>“There’s a huge need for health literacy for everyone involved. If you don’t know enough to understand what’s happening, you can’t make informed decisions.”</p>
<p>Gibson recommends that people with concerns about aging relatives obtain legal powers of attorney that will make it possible to make decisions about healthcare and financial matters if dementia progresses.</p>
<p>Andy Crocker, Texas A&amp;M Agrilife Extension’s sole gerontology specialist, says Texas offers numerous <a href="http://fcs.tamu.edu/families/aging/health_and_aging/index.php" class="external_link">fact sheets</a>, face-to-face workshops and conferences on <a href="http://fcs.tamu.edu/fcs_programs/2013briefs/eldercare-2013-brief.pdf" class="external_link">eldercare issues</a>.</p>
<p>Like Alabama, Texas Extension partners with community colleges, area agencies on aging, continuing education programs, and eldercare advocacy organizations.</p>
<p>Because of his academic background in the biological aspects of aging, Crocker holds out hope for medical breakthroughs that can slow the onset or the progress of the disease.</p>
<p>“Alzheimer’s involves actual atrophy of the brain,” he says. “The number one risk factor is advancing age. At age 65, there’s a 10 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s. By age 80, it’s around 50 percent. Slowing the onset or progress by 10 years would make a huge difference,” reducing both the direct costs and caregiving burdens, he says.</p>
<p>Like Gibson, Crocker stresses the importance of acting sooner rather than later to address concerns about aging relatives. “It’s important to talk to health professionals about your concerns, if only to rule out any of the many things that can masquerade as dementia. We have a program that teaches you how to have that conversation with your doctor.</p>
<p>“And Baby Boomers need to come to terms with their own aging. They've been socialized to look to technology for solving all their problems,” says Crocker. Making plans, talking to family members and health providers, designating powers of attorney, filing advance directives, “that’s for old people. Boomers are reluctant to think of themselves as ever growing old.”</p>
<p><br><strong>Learn more</strong><br><a href="http://www.alz.co.uk/media/130919" class="external_link">Briefing on World Alzheimer Report</a><br><a href="http://www.alz.co.uk/research/world-report-2013" class="external_link">World Alzheimer Report 20013</a> (full report)<br><a href="http://www.alz.org/downloads/facts_figures_2013.pdf" class="external_link">2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures</a> (full report) A statistical resource for U.S. data related to Alzheimer’s disease<br><a href="http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/ff_infographic_2013.pdf" class="external_link">20013 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures</a> (Infographic)<br><a href="http://bit.ly/GIxSwj" class="external_link">eXtension Alzheimer fact sheets </a><br><a href="http://bit.ly/19vaPv4" class="external_link">Family Caregiviers: Wired for Health</a> (Pew research)<br><a href="http://bbc.in/17rMw06" class="external_link">Alzheimer’s “breakthrough” could mark turning point </a></p>
<p>-30</p>
<p>Released October 14, 2013</p>
<p>Sources: <a href="http://www.aces.edu/directory/u/jtg0006/" class="external_link">Jatunn Gibson</a>, Ph.D., Auburn University, <a href="mailto:JTG0006@auburn.edu" class="mailto_link">JTG0006@auburn.edu</a><br><a href="http://www.extension.org/68712" class="local_link">Andrew Crocker</a>, M.S., Texas A&amp;M Agrilife Extension, <a href="mailto:ABCrocker@ag.tamu.edu" class="mailto_link">abcrocker@ag.tamu.edu</a></p>
<p>Writer: Peg Boyles, eXtension, <a href="mailto:writangl@gmail.com" class="mailto_link">writangl@gmail.com</a></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/70140/exercise-not-only-prevents-falls-but-may-protect-elders-who-do-fall-from-serious-injuries
Exercise Not Only Prevents Falls, But May Protect Elders Who Do Fall from Serious Injuries 2014-01-22T16:34:41Z
<p><img alt="Adults exercising through tai chi" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/tai-chi.jpg" width="724" height="338" title=""></p>
<p>One in three Americans age 65 or older suffers a fall each year, and as many as 30 percent of those who fall sustain moderate-to-severe injuries.</p>
<p>Fall injuries not only cost many older people their freedom and mobility; they strain the resources of family caregivers and <a href="http://1.usa.gov/1aipbz9" class="external_link">add $30 billion in direct medical costs</a> to the U.S. healthcare system, a number expected to grow as the population ages.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/1b4LRUz" class="external_link">A new study</a> suggests that elder adults who exercise are not only less likely to fall than their age peers who don’t exercise, but if they do fall, they're significantly less likely to get hurt.</p>
<p>Previous studies have shown that regular exercise reduces the chances of falls, but the latest research, a metanalysis of 17 previous studies involving more than 4,000 elderly participants, showed that elders who exercise suffer 37 percent fewer injuries, are 43 percent less likely to experience a fall that requires hospital admission, and 61 percent less likely to break bones if they do fall.</p>
<p>The average age of the people included in the analysis was about 77 years old, and more than three quarters of them were women.</p>
<p>The study authors note: “Even falls causing relatively minor injuries are important to consider, as they too may have serious consequences, such as diminished self confidence, social isolation, and restriction on activity, which in turn will accelerate functional decline and increase the risk of placement in a nursing home.”</p>
<p>“The damage from a fall, both physical and emotional, often cannot be undone,” says Kathy Gunter, associate professor and Extension specialist at Oregon State University. “The good news is that falls aren’t inevitable; they’re preventable.</p>
<p>“Several research-based programs, such as <a href="http://bit.ly/17VJ70p" class="external_link">Tufts’ Strong Women</a> and our own <a href="http://bit.ly/17IGm2S" class="external_link">Better Bones &amp; Balance</a> have recognized this and strive through exercise-program delivery and instructor training to increase communities’ capacity to provide fall-prevention education and physical activity programming. Including balance-specific challenges and practice is critical to truly prevent falls,” Gunter says.</p>
<p>“Bone loading exercises may improve bone mass and/or structure, which is an attractive side effect, but the true benefit – especially for our oldest Americans, is in preventing the fall – or through mobility training and increasing muscle strength – changing the nature of the fall.”</p>
<p>Being able to catch oneself and fall forward – or not at all – is more likely achieved by someone who has sufficient muscle tone and strength, in short, an exerciser!</p>
<p>Anne Lindsay, an associate professor and exercise/health Extension specialist with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, says that many changes that occur in the aging process may predispose elders to falls.</p>
<p>“Yet all too often, people say, ‘How can we fix the home environment so it’s safer?’ That’s important, yes, but people really need to think about strengthening the aging person so they’re overall less likely to fall or to hurt themselves if they do,” says Lindsay, an exercise physiologist by training.</p>
<p>“Oftentimes, people look at the <a href="http://1.usa.gov/1aW0jU5" class="external_link">national suggestions</a> for exercise, and feel overwhelmed. They say they can’t, so they simply won’t do it.</p>
<p>“I say, you’ve got to start somewhere. Especially for people who sit all day, just get up and do something.</p>
<p>“I love the online paper, <a href="http://bit.ly/1eRhY11" class="external_link">Measuring Functional Fitness in Older Adults</a>. Although it’s written for exercise professionals, it contains a great overview of what’s at stake and what’s needed. There’s a seven-item assessment tool that can work as a self-assessment. People can use it for self-assessment, then work to improve in each of the items.</p>
<p>“The more I look at it, the more I think that just trying to improve in each of the functional fitness categories of the assessment would make a pretty good exercise program in and of itself.”</p>
<p><strong>Here’s more</strong><br>
• <a href="http://bit.ly/17IGm2S" class="external_link">Better Bones &amp; Balance</a><br>
• <a href="http://1.usa.gov/1gNsCGz" class="external_link">Why strength training? </a><br>
• <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIEiNnPJbGY#t=56" class="external_link">Good video on preventing falls</a><br>
• <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ-RqR5NFH8" class="external_link">University of Maine video Matter of Balance</a><br>
• <a href="http://bbc.in/1bl0RTE" class="external_link"> 'Late starters' still have much to gain by exercising</a>. Over 60s who took up exercise were three times more likely to remain healthy over the next eight years than their sedentary peers.<br>
• <a href="http://bbc.in/1dyqXo1" class="external_link">'Silver Swans' take to the barre later in life for ballet lessons</a>. Scottish dancers in their 60s and 70s are taking up ballet for strength, balance, memory, and social support.</p>
<p>--30—</p>
<p>Released December 5, 2013</p>
<p>Sources: <a href="http://bit.ly/17onTFy" class="external_link">Anne Lindsay</a>, M.S., University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, <a href="mailto:lindsaya@unce.unr.edu" class="mailto_link">lindsaya@unce.unr.edu</a></p>
<p><a href="http://health.oregonstate.edu/people/gunter-kathy" class="external_link">Kathy Gunter</a>, Ph.D., Oregon State University, <a href="mailto:kathy.gunter@oregonstate.edu" class="mailto_link">kathy.gunter@oregonstate.edu</a></p>
<p>Writer: Peg Boyles, eXtension, <a href="mailto:writangl@gmail.com" class="mailto_link">writangl@gmail.com</a></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68365/what-health-insurance-plans-can-i-enroll-in
What health insurance plans can I enroll in? 2013-12-08T18:22:18Z
<p>Your state’s health insurance <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual#state=alabama" target="_blank" class="external_link">"marketplace" or health care "exchange" website</a> will enable you to view and compare various private insurance policies available for purchase in your state; you may also be referred to a public program or may find out that you are eligible for financial assistance in purchasing private insurance. <em>NOTE: Prior to October 2013, these websites may not be fully operational.</em></p>
<p>Below is a summary of the major options for receiving health care coverage in the United States including public programs or employer-sponsored plans for which you may be eligible.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Medicare</strong>: This covers those 65 and older as well as some specific populations such as those with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), disabled individuals, and people with end-stage renal disease.
<ul>
<li>To find out if you are eligible for Medicare look on the <a href="http://www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/Home.asp" target="_blank" class="external_link">Medicare website</a>. Apply <a href="http://socialsecurity.gov/pgm/medicare.htm" class="external_link">online</a> or call toll-free <strong>1-800-772-1213</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Medicaid</strong>: This is a program providing coverage for many low-income individuals, but specific eligibility and benefits are determined by each state.
<ul>
<li>To find out what your state is doing under the Affordable Care Act in regard to Medicaid go to <a href="http://ow.ly/ltQZb" target="_blank" class="external_link">Stateline Reports</a>. Apply for Medicaid at your local Helath Department.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)­</strong>­: This is a program providing coverage for children up to age 19 whose family income is a little too high to qualify for Medicaid. Each state determines specific eligibility and benefits.
<ul>
<li>To find out if you or your children are now eligible for Medicaid or CHIP see <a href="http://medicaid.gov/" class="external_link">specific eligibility and enrollment criteria by state</a>. Inquire or apply through your local Department of Family and Child Services, Health Department, community health center, or Cooperative Extension Service.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Department of Veterans Affairs Health Benefits</strong>: This is not a health insurance plan, but it provides <a href="http://www.va.gov/" target="_blank" class="external_link">health care benefits for veterans</a>. The benefits vary for each veteran and may vary from year to year based on federal funding.</li>
<li>
<strong>TRICARE</strong>: This health benefits program is for active-duty service members, uniformed service retirees, medal-of honor recipients, families of those who lost their spouse during active duty, and reservists activated for more than 30 consecutive days.
<ul>
<li>Some <a href="http://www.tricare.mil/" target="_blank" class="external_link">TRICARE plans</a> require consumers to enroll, while others are automatic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Indian Health Services (IHS)</strong>: This is not an insurance plan, but is a federal health care system which provides <a href="http://www.ihs.gov/" target="_blank" class="external_link">primary care and inpatient services to Native Americans </a>who are enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe.</li>
<li>
<strong>Employer-sponsored Health Insurance: </strong>Many employers contract with health insurance companies to provide plans for their employees to enroll in. Employees share the cost of premiums each month with their employer. You employer's human resources or benefits department should notify you of your options, costs, and the deadlines to enroll.</li>
<li>
<strong>Individual Private Insurance: </strong> Private health insurance plan can be located and purchased through your state health insurance marketplace. The cost and benefits will vary for each private plan. Depending on your income and family size, you may qualify for a <a href="http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/" target="_blank" class="external_link">tax credit </a>to help lower your overall health care expenses.</li>
</ul><p>We're collecting feedback on FAQs. Please <a href="https://vte.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_a633pwMJmYUshA9" class="external_link">complete this quick survey</a> to help with our continual improvements.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68600/is-a-health-savings-account-hsa-a-good-idea-what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages
Is a Health Savings Account (HSA) a good idea? What are the advantages and disadvantages? 2013-12-08T18:02:50Z
<p></p><div class="singleimage left"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:180px;">
<img height="180" width="180" style="width: 180px; height: 180px; float: left;" alt="SavingYour Dollars" title="SavingYour Dollars" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/backdrop-72176.jpg"><div class="thumbcaption">SavingYour Dollars</div>
</div></div></div>Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can be established if you have a high deductible policy. The policies may be offered by employers or purchased privately. Individuals open the account at a local financial institution that offers an HSA option. Funds deposited into the account may be made privately or with contributions from employers. The funds cover the out-of-pocket expenses you are expected to pay with your insurance plan and can include vision and dental expenses that are not covered by a separate policy.
<p>Money transferred to the account is non-taxable, and interest earned in the account is also exempt from taxes if used for qualified medical expenses. Because you own the HSA, you will retain the funds if you change employers and have different coverage available.</p>
<p>The funds can be used to pay health insurance premiums when you are between employers (COBRA), to pay long-term care insurance premiums, to pay Medicare deductibles and co-pays, or without penalty to cover living expenses if you are 65 years of age or older. HSA deposits are not "use or lose"; they roll over year to year and accumulate indefinitely.</p>
<p>That final point is probably one of the advantages people see with HSAs. The HSA can become, in essence, a tax-sheltered retirement savings vehicle when it is not needed for healthcare expenses.</p>
<p>The disadvantages of the HSA include:</p>
<ul>
<li>limitations on the contribution amount deposited annually;</li>
<li>a limit on the total amount that can be held in the accounts;</li>
<li>traditional fees that you must pay the financial institution for management of the account; and</li>
<li>record keeping for tax purposes.</li>
</ul><p>As owner of an HSA account, you can make withdrawals at any time for any purpose; however, if the funds are used for expenses that are not qualified medical costs or you are not at age 65+, you will pay standard income taxes on the withdrawal and an additional 20% penalty.</p>
<p>HSAs cannot be opened if you have traditional deductible coverage or after enrollment in Medicare.</p>
<p>For more information about HSAs, see these FAQs:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/38445/what-are-health-savings-accounts" class="local_link">What are Health Savings Accounts?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/38107/how-do-health-savings-accounts-work-are-they-a-good-idea" class="local_link">How do health savings accounts work? Are they a good idea?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/39858/where-can-health-savings-accounts-hsas-be-opened" class="local_link">Where can health savings accounts (HSAs) be opened?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/39859/how-do-health-savings-account-hsa-contributions-affect-your-income-taxes" class="local_link">How do health savings account (HSA) contributions affect your income taxes?</a></li>
</ul><p>We're collecting feedback on FAQs. Please <a href="https://vte.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_a633pwMJmYUshA9" class="external_link">complete this quick survey</a> to help with our continual improvements.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68612/what-is-the-difference-between-bronze-silver-gold-and-platinum-plans
What is the difference between bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans? 2013-12-08T17:25:48Z
<p>In order to be included in the <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual#state=alabama" target="_blank" class="external_link">Health Insurance Marketplace</a>, each insurance company can offer four different types of “qualified” health insurance plans– Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.</p>
<p>A Bronze Plan will cover 60% of health care costs with the consumer responsible for paying 40%. For Silver plans insurance companies pay 70% of costs and the consumer pays 30%. For Gold Plans, the split is 80%-20% and for Platinum the split is 90%-10%. In general, the more the company covers, the more the consumer will pay for the premiums.</p>
<p>For those with income below 250% of the federal poverty level, there are limits on costs that consumers must pay, depending on the plan they choose. For example, someone with income between 100% and 133% of the poverty level who is enrolled in a Silver Plan will pay only approximately 6% of health care costs and the insurance company will pay 94%. Those above 250% of poverty will still pay 30% in a Silver Plan.</p>
<p>This <a href="http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/healthpolicy/calculator/" target="_blank" class="external_link">calculator from the University of California-Berkley Labor Center</a> helps consumers estimate their costs both with and without government subsidies.</p>
<p>There is a 5<sup>th</sup> type of plan that can be offered by insurance companies called a Catastrophic Plan; however, these plans only cover a small number of primary care visits per year, then cover major medical and are only available to those under 30 years old.</p>
<p>Selecting a plan that is a right fit for your healthcare needs and for your household budget is something that deserves careful consideration. The University of Maryland Extension offers helpful consumer resources in their <a href="http://www.extension.umd.edu/insure/consumer-resources" class="external_link">Insuring Your Health</a> area that assist people in thinking through the decision and making a smart choice.</p>
<p>We're collecting feedback on FAQs. Please <a href="https://vte.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_a633pwMJmYUshA9" class="external_link">complete this quick survey</a> to help with our continual improvements.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69974/how-do-trees-and-other-vegetation-affect-urban-mesoclimates-and-microclimates
How do trees and other vegetation affect urban mesoclimates and microclimates? 2013-11-06T20:21:46Z
<p>Vegetation affects urban mesoclimate and microclimate by intercepting solar radiation, directing air movement, and affecting air temperature. Microclimate, mesoclimate and macroclimate can be used to describe the climate of a given location. Macroclimate covers hundreds of square miles and parameters such as precipitation levels, temperatures and winds. Mesoclimate covers areas of tens of square miles and describes how conditions vary from the prevailing macroclimate due to the effects of water bodies, topographic features (terrain), and other landscape influences. A microclimate is localized climate in areas consisting of hundreds of square feet and variations of the elevation in tens of feet. In an urban environment, trees influence how the area surrounding them feels to people by modifying airflow and temperature with shade and uptake/release of moisture. Modifying mesoclimate or microclimate in the urban environment is a tool planners can consider to help conserve energy, provide passive cooling and enhance aesthetics of an urban area. </p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69951/aca-information-now-is-the-time-to-know-the-abcs-of-health-literacy
ACA Information – Now is the time to know the ABCs of Health Literacy 2013-10-15T14:53:49Z
<p>The Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law in March 2010. Implementation of the ACA health insurance reforms started in 2010 and will continue to roll out over several years. This year (2013), the Health Insurance Marketplace, sometimes known as the health insurance "exchange," offers a new way for people without insurance to shop for and purchase coverage. Basically, the Marketplace or Exchange is a destination where consumers can compare insurance options in simple, easy to understand language.</p>
<p>The ACA is complex, and human nature is such that we want to find the easiest way to figure it out. Unfortunately, that may not be the smart choice -- especially when it comes to your wallet, and more importantly your health. When seeking out information on the ACA and decisions you make about it - you need to think about the ABCs of health literacy: Accuracy, Bias, Currency.</p>
<p><strong>Accuracy</strong> - Does the information conform to the truth of the law itself? Check out the law -- Healthcare.gov has the text of the law available in a searchable format - <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/where-can-i-read-the-affordable-care-act/" class="external_link">https://www.healthcare.gov/where-can-i-read-the-affordable-care-act/</a> You can also read it on the Federal Register <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/health-care-reform" class="external_link">https://www.federalregister.gov/health-care-reform</a>. The Federal Register is the official journal of record for the approved acts of the U.S. Government.</p>
<p><strong>Bias</strong> -- Does the source have a strong interest in your doing or not doing something? Before making a decision, get your information from a variety of sources; are they all saying the same thing? One of the reasons the Health Insurance Marketplace was developed was to give you the opportunity to review and select from among quality health plans; each plan provides a common set of heath benefits offered by every insurance company participating in the health insurance marketplace. Since each plan must cover ten Essential Health Benefits you can compare policies on an "apples to apples" basis. You may also need to find out more information other than premiums, deductibles and co-pays -- like the premium tax credit and cost sharing programs which will reduce your out-of-pocket payments, if you qualify.</p>
<p><strong>Currency</strong> -- Is the information being used or accepted by many people? Are the people you look up to as savvy regarding making financial and health decisions getting their information from this resource? If not, why not?</p>
<p>Don't be afraid to ask questions of your friends, family and co-workers or call the Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. The ACA is new to all of us and there will be a learning curve. But there is time. If you want coverage by January 1, 2014 you have until December 15th, 2013 to enroll. Remember that you must pay at least the first premium before coverage will go into effect.</p>
<ul>
<li>Seek out Navigators or Certified Application Counselors in your community. Visit <a href="https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/" class="external_link">localhelp.healthcare.gov</a> or <a href="http://healthcare.gov" class="external_link">healthcare.gov</a> to find them.</li>
<li>Contact your state's Insurance Commissioner's Office for information. Links to all the states may be found at National Association of Insurance Commissioner's website at <a href="http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm" class="external_link">http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm</a>
</li>
<li>The University of Maryland's Smart Choice handouts might of assistance in making a decision <a href="http://extension.umd.edu/insure" class="external_link">http://extension.umd.edu/insure</a>.</li>
<li>Use the Health Insurance Literacy Group Ask the Expert option via eXtension <a href="https://ask.extension.org/groups/1790" class="local_link">https://ask.extension.org/groups/1790</a> or visit the ASK Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AskHealthLit" class="external_link">https://www.facebook.com/AskHealthLit. </a>
</li>
</ul><p>Remember, now is the time to ask questions and become an informed buyer of health insurance. But don't be afraid to ask questions. Health literacy is complex -- a person can have a Ph.D. in physics and still have issues making good health decisions. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), health literacy is a stronger predictor of an individual's health status than income, employment status, education level, and racial or ethnic group. Health literacy is all about finding, understanding, evaluating, communicating and using health information that results in informed health care decision-making and behavior change.</p>
<p>A recent report to the U.S. Congress says that patients, particularly minorities and those on Medicare, are not actively making decisions about their treatments and procedures because doctor-patient communication is poor.</p>
<p>Ask questions; get answers; empower yourself! Poor health literacy is costing our nation over $200 billion annually.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69007/extension-experts-offering-education-on-health-care-act-provisions
eXtension Experts Offering Education on Health Care Act Provisions 2013-09-25T20:09:39Z
<p><img height="340" width="720" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/health_care-1.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
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<p>Americans are “woefully unprepared” for the new Affordable Care Act’s implementation and generally not very literate about health insurance overall, say eXtension experts who are leading educational efforts on both fronts.</p>
<p>Tens of millions of Americans will begin making choices about their health insurance beginning Oct. 1 as open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) begins. People without insurance will be eligible to shop for plans; those with insurance will have new options.</p>
<p>“Research has shown that most people do not feel very confident about their health insurance decisions. They just made one,” said Bonnie Braun, family policy specialist with University of Maryland Extension. “And they made the same choices every year. That worked for years. Now it’s extremely dynamic. What you thought you understood may not be what the current situation is.”<br><br><strong>Information for consumers, businesses, agricultural producers, educators</strong><br>
eXtension, a consortium of Cooperative Extension Service experts from land-grant universities across the nation, has gathered a number of resources at <a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/68424/affordable-care-act" class="local_link">http://www.extension.org/pages/68424/affordable-care-act</a> . There, consumers, businesses, agricultural producers and educators can find answers to how the new law affects them. It includes a place to ask a question of an eXtension expert.</p>
<p>“We are completely unbiased in our answers,” said Megan O’Neil, University of Maryland Extension family, youth and communities finance educator. “We won’t ever recommend one particular insurance plan. We can refer people to trusted sources and unbiased materials.”</p>
<p>Roberta Riportella, professor of community health with Kansas State University Research and Extension, said consumers are “woefully unprepared” for the new law. She is conducting national webinars and also working in Kansas to educate county-based Extension educators so they can help consumers.<br><br><strong>Changes are coming, navigators can help</strong><br>
“I think there has been so much confusion and so much political discussion, some people think it’s been repealed or it will be repealed. I think that doesn’t serve them well,” Riportella said. “Our main goal is to let people know there are new options coming for them.”</p>
<p>Certain ACA provisions already are in effect, but the open enrollment period, from Oct. 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014, will be consumers’ first opportunity under the new law to enroll in new health plans. Every state will have so-called “navigators” to help consumers enroll.</p>
<p>“A lot of Americans won’t see any changes, except they can know that their health-insurance plans are more secure,” Riportella said.</p>
<p>Riportella said there’s a sense of urgency because federal regulations and outreach related to the new law have come late.</p>
<p>Meantime, Braun sees ACA as a “teachable moment” to encourage Americans to understand more about health insurance in general, to boost what she called “health insurance literacy.” She is leading a team that has produced the new Smart Choice curriculum, which has gone through some pilot tests this year and will be rolled out across the nation beginning Oct. 1.</p>
<p>“We decided from the start that whatever we did, it must reduce confusion, increase capability and it must result in a choice that makes financial and health sense for individuals and families,” Braun said. “That is actually the bottom line for the definition of health insurance literacy.”</p>
<p>The eXtension experts acknowledge they’re dealing with a steep learning curve too. “We’re calling ourselves experts but the truth is no one at this moment is an expert on this highly dynamic, new public policy and all of the consumer choices that people have to make,” O’Neil said. “We’re learning too.”</p>
<p>--30--</p>
<p>Released August 22, 2013</p>
<p>Sources:<br><a href="http://www.extension.org/68925" class="local_link">Bonnie Braun,</a> Ph.D., University of Maryland Extension family policy specialist, <a href="mailto:bbraun@umd.edu" class="mailto_link">bbraun@umd.edu</a><br><a href="http://www.extension.org/68643" class="local_link">Megan O'Neil</a>, M.P.S., University of Maryland Extension personal financial management educator, <a href="mailto:oneil@umd.edu" class="mailto_link">oneil@umd.edu</a><br><a href="http://www.extension.org/69515" class="local_link">Roberta Riportella</a>, Ph.D., Kansas State University Research and Extension, Kansas Health Foundation Professor of Community Health, <a href="mailto:rriporte@k-state.edu" class="mailto_link">rriporte@k-state.edu</a></p>
<p>Writer: Dan Moser, eXtension, <a href="mailto:dmoser3@unl.edu" class="mailto_link">dmoser3@unl.edu</a></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69515/roberta-riportella
Roberta Riportella 2013-09-24T19:32:59Z
<p><img height="180" width="240" alt="Roberta Riportella" title="Roberta Riportella" class="media-element file-media-small" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/RobertaWIsconsinIdeaphoto_0.jpg"></p>
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<p>Growing up in New York on Long Island, Roberta visited the Big Apple where its cultural and art life become part of her. School trips were to the Metropolitan Opera, the symphony, and the ballet. Her dad was an artist so that enhanced the time spent in and around museums and galleries. She loved hanging out of dad’s 34th floor art studio on Madison Avenue where she got to watch many ticket-tape parades, including those for the astronauts and JFK. </p>
<p>While part of her always thought she’d be a teacher, another love was for musical theater so she began college in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Ithaca College in that beautiful region of N.Y. It wasn’t long before reality took over and she ended up preparing for a career in social work, something she had been considering since her summers spent in a camp in upstate N.Y. that was designed by social workers to give NYC kids an experience in helping others. So she transferred to SUNY at Binghamton where she graduated in sociology 1976. Personal life then shipped her off to the “far” Midwest, Madison, Wisconsin, and she finally felt as if she had come home. Perhaps this city girl was secretly a Midwesterner at heart. </p>
<p>Roberta completed her Ph.D. in Sociology at UW Madison with concentrations in preventive medicine, gerontology and demography. Had there been a school of public health in Madison at the time, she would have attended it because it became increasingly clear that her new life passion would be as a public health researcher. Her master’s thesis looking at the differences in quality of care in nursing homes based on their size and profit status remains one of her proudest accomplishments, and popularly cited articles.</p>
<p>In the intervening years before she landed in Manhattan, Kansas (the little apple), she had the chance to teach in the medical schools at SUNY Stony Brook and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was affiliated with the School of Public Health at UNC and her career focusing on access to care for vulnerable populations became more solidified. Roberta spent most of her career back at UW Madison, this time not as a grad student but as a professor in the School of Human Ecology with an appointment also with Wisconsin’s Cooperative Extension campus as a health policy specialist. </p>
<p>As an Extension specialist located in Wisconsin’s state capitol, Roberta got to be part of a more applied public health world. She sat on advisory committees for non-profits and state government. She was often out of her books and the academy getting her feet dirty in the field of delivering health care to vulnerable populations. She had selected local gurus who taught her what life was really like outside the ivory towers. Roberta has published and presented on health care workforce distribution issues and barriers to care for low income populations. For 10 years she was Project Director of Covering Kids Wisconsin, a statewide coalition whose goal was to achieve full enrollment in Wisconsin’s public health insurance program for children and their parents: BadgerCare. </p>
<p>Roberta considers herself an expert in public health insurance programs so she was most interested, and began preparing for the implementation of The Affordable Care Act as soon as it became the law of the land. </p>
<p>In March 2013 Roberta took early retirement from UW as an emerita professor and joined the faculty at Kansas State University as the Kansas Health Foundation Professor of Community Health. At KSU she is looking forward to working with a new set of county based Extension colleagues and other state partners as the Affordable Care Act rolls out. She teaches about the ACA in different venues: locally, statewide, and nationally through webinars. Roberta is a firm believer in informed consumers and while the political winds continue to swirl over the wisdom of this particular law, she is out in the trenches trying to make sure that consumers understand what this law is and how it will impact their choices about health insurance.</p>
<p>In Madison she raised two sons, two dogs and eventually came back to her love of musical theater, a love she has shared with her sons. They have all been in local musical productions together. While she misses being on stage, karaoke takes its place until she again finds the time to audition for a show in her new hometown of Manhattan, the other one, the slower paced one.</p>
<div>Roberta Riportella, Ph.D. Kansas Health Foundation Professor of Community Health</div>
<div>School of Family Studies and Human Services</div>
<div>College of Human Ecology</div>
<div>Kansas State University</div>
<div>K-State Research and Extension</div>
<div> </div>
<div>343 Justin Hall</div>
<div>Manhattan, KS 66506</div>
<div>785-532-1942</div>
<div><a href="mailto:rriporte@k-state.edu" class="mailto_link">rriporte@k-state.edu</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Emerita Professor</div>
<div>School of Human Ecology</div>
<div>University of Wisconsin-Madison</div>
<p><br><br>
</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68611/how-will-the-affordable-care-act-apply-to-veterans-who-sometimes-use-va-services
How will the Affordable Care Act apply to Veterans who sometimes use VA services? 2013-09-23T00:26:18Z
<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;"></p><div class="singleimage"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:180px;">
<img height="180" width="180" style="float: right;" alt="Soldier" title="Soldier" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/man-80086.jpg"><div class="thumbcaption">Soldier</div>
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<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;">Veterans who qualify and receive VA benefits do not need to purchase coverage. <a href="http://www.va.gov/" target="_blank" class="external_link">VA benefits</a> remain unchanged.</p>
<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;">Some may choose to sign up for coverage in <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual#state=alabama" target="_blank" class="external_link">individual state marketplaces</a> to supplement their current VA coverage.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69143/ninfa-pea-purcell
Ninfa Peña-Purcell 2013-09-17T17:04:25Z
<p><img height="180" width="240" alt="Ninfa Pena-Purcell" title="Ninfa Pena-Purcell" class="media-element file-media-small" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/ninfa%20photo.jpg"></p>
<p>Ninfa, a public health educator at heart, has a strong passion to serve vulnerable populations. A native Texan, she lived in Georgia and Wisconsin as a young adult but returned to her home state in 1994. At that time, she relocated to El Paso, Texas, from Atlanta, Georgia, where her family made plans to settle down and put down roots. In 1997, she completed her masters in kinesiology with a focus in worksite health promotion from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Following her graduation, she secured an adjunct faculty position in the health science department at UTEP. Through this work, she was engaged in community health promotion programming that included addressing the health needs of a multi-ethnic community where nearly of 90% of the population are Hispanic/Latinos. This work spurred her desire to pursue a Ph.D. in health studies from Texas Woman’s University (TWU). Her first post-doctoral appointment was visiting Assistant Professor at TWU from 2005-2007. In 2007, she was awarded a one-year Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections fellowship and was among the first cohort to complete this program.</p>
<p>Ninfa has focused most of her scholarship activities in chronic disease prevention and management, cultural competency, and health disparities research. Applying her expertise in curriculum development and adult learning, she created two culturally competent diabetes self-management education programs:<i> ¡Si, Yo Puedo Controlar Mi Diabetes! (Si, Yo Puedo) </i>and Wisdom, Power, Control. These programs are delivered through the leadership of Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Extension Service county Extension agents and their community partners.</p>
<p>Ninfa’s position with AgriLife Extension has brought her professional and personal life in full circle. To her amazement, the <em>Si, Yo Puedo</em> program is now serving the South Texas community where she was born and raised. Ninfa says, “I always believed my life had a purpose, but this becomes more real and meaningful when I am able to give back to a place that played a part in the person I’ve become.”</p>
<p>Ninfa firmly believes in building community relationships to better serve diverse audiences, especially with underserved groups. She notes, “When Extension and community partners work together, this synergy becomes a catalyst for positive change.” Having completed a one-year, grant-funded initiative piloting Wisdom, Power, Control, she witnessed first-hand how these collaborations benefit individuals with diabetes, their families, and other close networks such as their church connections.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, Ninfa envisions that <i>Si, Yo Puedo</i> and Wisdom, Power, Control will expand into new areas, both in-state and nationally, largely due to using partnerships as a delivery mechanism. She is also broadening her professional horizons to explore opportunities to provide diabetes and other health education services in worksites and applying technology as a platform to reach a broader audience.</p>
<h2>Contact</h2>
<p>Ninfa Peña-Purcell, Ph.D.<br>
Assistant Professor and Extension Health Specialist<br>
Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Extension Service<br>
e-mail: <a href="mailto:ncpurcell@ag.tamu.edu" class="mailto_link">ncpurcell@ag.tamu.edu</a></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69142/david-m-young-dvm-ms-phd-crc
David M. Young, DVM, MS, PhD, CRC 2013-09-12T14:48:11Z
<p><img height="180" width="240" class="media-element file-media-small" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/tbynum_dearborn_augusta_1527.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
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<div>David is a third generation Montanan who grew up Billings, MT where he completed his first two years of college. His love of animals and years of working on ranches and feedlots during his youth lead him into his first career in Veterinary Medicine. He received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University in 1966. David’s interest in the study of disease mechanisms during veterinary school led him into his second career as a research pathologist. He received his MS and PhD degrees in Comparative Pathology from The Ohio State University in 1967 and 1970, respectively. After graduate school, David was employed as a research pathologist at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, MD from 1970-77.</div>
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<div>In 1977, David joined the faculty at Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman, Montana, initially as a department head and later as an administrator overseeing biomedical and health-related programs and institutional review committees. During his tenure at Montana State University, David has changed positions every 7 – 10 years………..thus, it is not surprising that he was recently diagnosed with VADD – Vocational Attention Deficit Disorder. After serving eight years as a department head, David directed several grant-funded programs for American Indian students working with Montana’s seven tribal colleges and reservation high schools. From 1995-2005, David served as Director of the Montana Office of Rural Health. In 2005, David was appointed Community Resource Specialist with the MSU Extension Service and Research Professor with the College of Nursing. David’s passion is mobilizing resources that promote healthy, safe, thriving Montana communities and improve the health and well-being of underserved, vulnerable, disenfranchised, hard-to-reach populations. He is one of the leaders of the CHC CoP and chairs the Professional Training Subcommittee of the USDA-NIFA Nutrition and Health Committee for Program Planning and Guidance.</div>
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<div>The majority of David’s tenure at MSU has involved writing grants, conducting grant writing workshops and overseeing health-related and biomedical research grants. He conducts grant writing workshops for Extension and various community-based organizations and agencies across Montana.</div>
<div>In his non-job life, David serves as a volunteer chaplain for local law enforcement and is actively involved in jail and prison ministry. David is a member of several national organizations, including: the American Correctional Chaplains Association, the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, the International Conference of Police Chaplains, and, the Rural Chaplains Association.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Contact Information</div>
<div> </div>
<div>David M. Young, DVM, MS, PhD, CRC</div>
<div>Professor &amp; Community Resource Specialist</div>
<div>MSU Extension &amp; College of Nursing</div>
<div>Culbertson Hall, Room 235B</div>
<div>Bozeman, MT 59717-2230</div>
<div><a href="">(406) 994-5552</a></div>
<div><a href="mailto:dyoung@montana.edu" class="mailto_link">dyoung@montana.edu</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>MSU Extension Community Resources - <a href="http://www.msucommunityresources.org/index.html" class="external_link">http://www.msucommunityresources.org/index.html</a>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Creating Healthy Communities COP - <a href="http://blogs.extension.org/creatinghealthycommunities/" class="local_link">http://blogs.extension.org/creatinghealthycommunities/</a>
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<div>Companion Animals COP - <a href="http://www.extension.org/companion_animals" class="local_link">http://www.extension.org/companion_animals</a>
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<div>Gallatin County Reentry Task Force - <a href="http://www.gallatin.mt.gov/Public_Documents/GallatinCoMT_CJCC_Recid/CJCChp" class="external_link">http://www.gallatin.mt.gov/Public_Documents/GallatinCoMT_CJCC_Recid/CJCChp</a>
</div>
<div> </div> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69139/i-have-heard-children-can-stay-on-a-parents-plan-until-age-26-what-if-they-are-married
I have heard “children” can stay on a parent’s plan until age 26. What if they are married? 2013-09-11T22:09:23Z
<p>Even married children have the option to be covered under a parent’s insurance plan until they reach age 26. </p>
<p>However, if a married child of yours chooses to be covered as a dependent under your employer coverage, neither their own children nor their spouse is covered by your insurance. Your child's spouse will have to obtain his or her own coverage and coverage for your grandchild(ren).</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/61013/an-overview-of-health-reform
An Overview of Health Reform 2013-09-09T20:53:05Z
<p><img height="336" width="721" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/here5.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
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<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b2/chc_image_1.jpg" title="Jennifer Tolbert Associate Director, KCMU"><img alt="" border="0" class="thumbimage" height="172" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b2/chc_image_1.jpg" width="233"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">Jennifer Tolbert<br>
Associate Director, KCMU</div>
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</div>
<p>Jennifer Tolbert is an Associate Director with the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The link below will take you to an overview presentation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as the Health Reform Law enacted on March 23, 2010. This overview focuses on key areas of the law including, health insurance coverage, delivery system improvements and the cost containment efforts currently in place within the law.</p>
<p><a id="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation" name="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation"></a></p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline"><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/Tutorials-and-Presentations/Health-Reform-Overview.aspx" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/Tutorials-and-Presentations/Health-Reform-Overview.aspx">Click HERE to view presentation</a></span></h2>
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<p>For additional information see the following resources:For additional information see the following resources:</p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthreform.kff.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthreform.kff.org/">Kaiser Family Foundation</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthcare.gov/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthcare.gov/">DHHS consumer website</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.allhealth.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.allhealth.org/">Alliance for Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.naic.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.naic.org">National Assocaition of Insurance Commissioners</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.nga.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.nga.org">National Governors Assocaition </a></li>
</ul><p>Additional KaiserEdu Tutorials:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/61014/a-retrospective-look-at-health-reform" title="Creating Healthy Communities: A Retrospective Look at Health Reform" class="internal_link">A Retrospective Look at Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/61015/how-will-medicaid-change" title="Creating Healthy Communities: How Will Medicaid Change?" class="internal_link">How Will Medicaid Change?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/61016/health-reform-and-medicare" title="Creating Healthy Communities: Health Reform and Medicare" class="internal_link">Health Reform and Medicare</a></li>
</ul><p><br><br><br><br>
</p>
<div class="hiddenStructure editsection" id="wow">
<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b2/chc_image_1.jpg" title="Image:chc_image_1.jpg"><img alt="Image:chc_image_1.jpg" border="0" height="172" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b2/chc_image_1.jpg" width="233"></a>Jennifer Tolbert is an Associate Director with the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. This article will guide you to an overview presentation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as the Health Reform Law enacted on March 23, 2010. This overview focuses on key areas of the law including, health insurance coverage, delivery system improvements and the cost containment efforts currently in place within the law.</div> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/61015/how-will-medicaid-change
How Will Medicaid Change? 2013-09-09T20:48:58Z
<p><img height="336" width="721" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/here4.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
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<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/1/1e/chc_image_6.jpg" title="Robin Rudowitz Associate Director, KCMU Kaiser Family Foundation"><img alt="" border="0" class="thumbimage" height="172" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/1/1e/chc_image_6.jpg" width="233"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">Robin Rudowitz<br>
Associate Director, KCMU<br>
Kaiser Family Foundation</div>
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</div>
</div>
<p>Robin Rudowitz is an Associate Director with the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation.</p>
<p>The link below leads to a tutorial of some of the key changes that will occur to Medicaid under the health reform law.</p>
<p>With one of the primary goals of the health reform law being to reduce the number of uninsured individuals in America, Medicaid plays a pivotal role in providing coverage for these low-income Americans. This tutorial focuses on the changes we will see in Medicaid under the new law.</p>
<p><a id="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation" name="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation"></a></p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline"><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/retrospective-health-reform/player.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/retrospective-health-reform/player.html">Click HERE to view presentation</a></span></h2>
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<p>For additional information see the following resources:For additional information see the following resources:</p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthreform.kff.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthreform.kff.org/">Kaiser Family Foundation</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthcare.gov/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthcare.gov/">DHHS consumer website</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.allhealth.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.allhealth.org/">Alliance for Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.naic.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.naic.org">National Association of Insurance Commissioners</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.nga.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.nga.org">National Governors Association </a></li>
</ul><p>Additional KaiserEdu Tutorials:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/61013/an-overview-of-health-reform" title="Creating Healthy Communities: An Overview of Health Reform" class="internal_link">An Overview of Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/61014/a-retrospective-look-at-health-reform" title="Creating Healthy Communities: A Retrospective Look at Health Reform" class="internal_link">A Retrospective Look at Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/61016/health-reform-and-medicare" title="Creating Healthy Communities: Health Reform and Medicare" class="internal_link">Health Reform and Medicare</a></li>
</ul><p><br><br><br><br>
</p>
<div class="hiddenStructure editsection" id="wow">
<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b5/chc_image_3.jpg" title="Image:chc_image_3.jpg"><img alt="Image:chc_image_3.jpg" border="0" height="405" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b5/chc_image_3.jpg" width="620"></a>Jennifer Tolbert is an Associate Director with the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. This article will guide you to an overview presentation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as the Health Reform Law enacted on March 23, 2010. This overview focuses on key areas of the law including, health insurance coverage, delivery system improvements and the cost containment efforts currently in place within the law.</div> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/61014/a-retrospective-look-at-health-reform
A Retrospective Look at Health Reform 2013-09-09T20:38:06Z
<p><img height="336" width="721" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/here2.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
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<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/5/56/chc_image_4.jpg" title="Alan Schlobohm Senior Program AdministratorKaiser Family Foundation"><img alt="" border="0" class="thumbimage" height="172" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/5/56/chc_image_4.jpg" width="233"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">Alan Schlobohm<br>
Senior Program Administrator<br>
Kaiser Family Foundation</div>
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</div>
</div>
<p>Alan Schlobohm is the Senior Program Administrator with the Kaiser Family Foundation. The link below will take you to a step-by-step tutorial of how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as the Health Reform Law enacted on March 23, 2010 progressed through the legislative process. This tutorial focuses on the early role of the presidential agenda as well as the key people involved in passing the health reform law. Additionally, this tutorial covers key Congressional committees involved in the beginning stages of health reform and how the law was considered by both the House and Senate. Finally, this tutorial will cover how differences were resolved amond the House and Senate in order for President Obama to sign the health reform into law.</p>
<p><a id="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation" name="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation"></a></p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline"><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/retrospective-health-reform/player.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/retrospective-health-reform/player.html">Click HERE to view presentation</a></span></h2>
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<p>For additional information see the following resources:For additional information see the following resources:</p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthreform.kff.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthreform.kff.org/">Kaiser Family Foundation</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthcare.gov/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthcare.gov/">DHHS consumer website</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.allhealth.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.allhealth.org/">Alliance for Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.naic.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.naic.org">National Assocaition of Insurance Commissioners</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.nga.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.nga.org">National Governors Assocaition </a></li>
</ul><p>Additional KaiserEdu Tutorials:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/61013/an-overview-of-health-reform" title="Creating Healthy Communities: An Overview of Health Reform" class="internal_link">An Overview of Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/61015/how-will-medicaid-change" title="Creating Healthy Communities: How Will Medicaid Change?" class="internal_link">How Will Medicaid Change?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/61016/health-reform-and-medicare" title="Creating Healthy Communities: Health Reform and Medicare" class="internal_link">Health Reform and Medicare</a></li>
</ul><p><br><br><br><br>
</p>
<div class="hiddenStructure editsection" id="wow">
<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b5/chc_image_3.jpg" title="Image:chc_image_3.jpg"><img alt="Image:chc_image_3.jpg" border="0" height="405" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b5/chc_image_3.jpg" width="620"></a>Jennifer Tolbert is an Associate Director with the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. This article will guide you to an overview presentation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as the Health Reform Law enacted on March 23, 2010. This overview focuses on key areas of the law including, health insurance coverage, delivery system improvements and the cost containment efforts currently in place within the law.</div> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/61016/health-reform-and-medicare
Health Reform and Medicare 2013-09-09T20:28:54Z
<p><img height="336" width="721" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/here.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
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<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/4/4d/chc_image_8.jpg" title="Tricia Newman Vice President, KCMU Director Medicare Policy ProjectKaiser Family Foundation"><img alt="" border="0" class="thumbimage" height="172" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/4/4d/chc_image_8.jpg" width="233"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">Tricia Newman<br>
Vice President, KCMU<br>
Director Medicare Policy Project<br>
Kaiser Family Foundation</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Tricia Newman is a Vice President of the Kaiser Family Foundation and Director of the foundation's Medicare policy project.</p>
<p>In the tutorial below, the role of Medicare in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will be covered. Although Medicare was not a primary focus of the health reform law, it quickly became a key player in expanding coverage to the uninsured while controlling costs. This tutorial covers the main Medicare provisions as well as potential implications for Medicare beneficiaries.</p>
<p><a id="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation" name="Click_HERE_to_view_presentation"></a></p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline"><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/Medicare-and-health-reform/player.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/Medicare-and-health-reform/player.html">Click HERE to view presentation</a></span></h2>
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<p>For additional information see the following resources:</p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthreform.kff.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthreform.kff.org/">Kaiser Family Foundation</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://healthcare.gov/" rel="nofollow" title="http://healthcare.gov/">DHHS consumer website</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.allhealth.org/" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.allhealth.org/">Alliance for Health Reform</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.naic.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.naic.org">National Assocaition of Insurance Commissioners</a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.nga.org" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.nga.org">National Governors Assocaition </a></li>
</ul><p>Additional KaiserEdu Tutorials:</p>
<ul>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/retrospective-health-reform/player.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/retrospective-health-reform/player.html">Health Care reform: A retrospective </a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/medicaid-and-health-reform/player.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/medicaid-and-health-reform/player.htmlHealth">Reform: How Will Medicaid Change? </a></li>
<li><a class="external_link" href="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/Medicare-and-health-reform/player.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/Medicare-and-health-reform/player.html">Health Reform and Medicare </a></li>
</ul><p><br><br><br><br>
</p>
<div class="hiddenStructure editsection" id="wow">
<a class="file_link" href="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b5/chc_image_3.jpg" title="Image:chc_image_3.jpg"><img alt="Image:chc_image_3.jpg" border="0" height="405" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/b/b5/chc_image_3.jpg" width="620"></a>Jennifer Tolbert is an Associate Director with the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. This article will guide you to an overview presentation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as the Health Reform Law enacted on March 23, 2010. This overview focuses on key areas of the law including, health insurance coverage, delivery system improvements and the cost containment efforts currently in place within the law.</div> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69159/what-does-the-affordable-care-act-mean-for-my-college-age-kids-where-do-students-go-to-figure-it-out
What does the Affordable Care Act mean for my college-age kids? Where do students go to figure it out? 2013-09-09T15:40:28Z
<p>Young adults under the age of 26 are eligible for dependent coverage through their parent’s health insurance plan or those ages 18-26 may purchase a policy through the Health Insurance Marketplace.</p>
<p>Starting in 2014, adults under age 30 will be eligible for coverage as a “young invincible.” This coverage will be lower in cost than other plans offered through the health insurance marketplace, but will have higher deductibles.</p>
<p>Some colleges and universities offer self-funded student health insurance plans. These plans will be required to offer “minimum essential health services” outlined in the Affordable Care Act, such as free preventive services, to satisfy the individual coverage mandate. Check with your college or university about availability of health insurance plans for enrolled students.</p>
<p>Some young adults may become eligible for health coverage through Medicaid. This eligibility will vary from state to state and is determined by income level. </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/69113/do-children-fall-off-my-insurance-policy-on-the-day-of-their-26th-birthday-how-do-they-avoid-a-lapse
Do children fall off my insurance policy on the day of their 26th birthday? How do they avoid a lapse in coverage? 2013-09-03T19:03:29Z
<p>Under the Affordable Care Act, children and step children can stay on their parent's insurance policies until their 26<sup>th</sup> birthday, provided the parent’s plan allows dependent coverage. Retiree insurance plans, for example, are not required to extend coverage to dependents. Children can be covered by the parent’s insurance plans even if they are married, do not live with the parent or are not financially dependent on the parent. They can also be covered even if they are eligible to enroll in their own employer’s plan, with some temporary exceptions in "grandfathered" plans until 2014.</p>
<p>Some insurance plans extend coverage through the end of the month the child turns 26, or until the end of the billing cycle or calendar year. Check with your insurer to determine when the policy will lapse.</p>
<p>A child turning 26 after January 1, 2014 can avoid a lapse in coverage by enrolling in their own employer's plan. if eligible, during open enrollment, usually between October 1 and December 31, 2013, or they can purchase an insurance policy through the health insurance marketplace, which opens October 1, 2013.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68979/what-can-i-do-to-promote-energy-conservation-with-trees-in-my-community
What Can I Do to Promote Energy Conservation with Trees in My Community? 2013-08-26T21:11:45Z
<p><img height="336" width="721" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/shade%20by%20walk_bldg.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
<p>The best ways to promote energy conservation with trees in your community are educating others about the benefits of urban trees, advocating for tree planting and protection, and taking action to increase local tree canopy cover.</p>
<p>Although most people can appreciate the comforting shade of a tree on a hot summer's day, many do not realize how large an impact that trees can have on energy consumption for both cooling and heating buildings. Therefore, most people under-estimate the energy conservation benefits that trees can provide. Without this awareness, people are not inspired to plant trees on their property or support public efforts to increase tree canopy cover. So start by educating yourself about tree benefits and then share this knowledge with community members and decision-makers.</p>
<p>Your own yard provides you with a great opportunity to take action to increase your community’s tree canopy and will directly benefit your own energy conservation efforts. After educating yourself about trees and energy conservation, put that knowledge to work by planting appropriate trees in suitable locations on your property. And then invite others to your property to see how trees can be put to work on conserving energy. Lead by example!</p>
<p>Don't despair if you don't own your residence or if you live in a multi-family complex. Communities often collectively own open space, parks, greenways, or playgrounds where tree canopy cover can be increased. Local associations are also a good pipeline for educating neighbors about tree planting for energy conservation. Information can be disseminated to neighbors through newsletters, door hangers, and social media. Community groups or homeowners associations can benefit from purchasing trees in bulk at reduced unit cost, and these costs can be shared collectively through association fees or dues.</p>
<p>People are educated and persuaded in different ways. For the tech-savvy, an alternative strategy for demonstrating the benefits of trees might be found in a web application called <a href="http://www.itreetools.org/design.php" class="external_link">i-Tree Design</a>. This application, developed by US Forest Service and Davey Resource Group, allows users to see the monetary benefits of planting hypothetical trees around their homes. The convincing part of this program is that it uses the actual residence plotted on Google Maps. And it shows how tree benefits increase through time as trees grow larger.</p>
<p><img height="180" width="240" class="media-element file-media-small" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/tree%20and%20glass.jpg" alt="" title=""> </p>
<p>Beyond your neighborhood, there are opportunities to expand the message of tree benefits across your town or city. Many organizations work to address green space conservation in urban and suburban areas. Civic groups, non-profits, and local government are commonly interested in improving the quality of life in their communities. Trees are often a unifying theme for these groups working to improve quality of life. Working as a part of one of these groups to increase canopy cover over streets, parking lots, and plazas not only beautifies these areas, but can also help conserve energy by mitigating the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/hiri/" class="external_link">heat island effect</a> of these expansive built spaces. </p>
<p>Working with local government through advocacy roles, citizens can often influence policy and practice in their communities to help improve energy conservation by working to implement good urban forestry practices. Some actions to consider that can improve community level energy conservation using trees:</p>
<ul>
<li style="margin-left: 1.25in">Examine the municipality’s ordinances to determine if there are local regulations for the planting and conservation of trees and forests. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 1.25in">Advocate for a tree protection ordinance that regulates tree removal and replacement during the land development process.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 1.25in">Advocate for a landscape ordinance that requires tree planting on multi-family residential and commercial properties, with particular emphasis on shading buildings and parking lots.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 1.25in">Advocate for requirement of tree removal permits to minimize arbitrary tree removals.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 1.25in">Examine the municipality’s zoning and comprehensive plan to determine if tree and forest conservation are being carefully considered as part of the land use and development process.</li>
</ul><table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" height="207" width="267"><tbody>
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<td><img height="480" width="640" style="width: 350px; height: 263px;" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/city%20trees_0_0.jpg" alt="" title=""></td>
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<td>Photo Credit: Raina Sheridan</td>
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</tbody></table><p>Two municipal government divisions are typically engaged in tree and forest management at the local level: the Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Interested citizens may have opportunities to become involved in these departments through citizen advisory councils or volunteer projects.</p>
<p>Other practices to help promote energy conservation in your community using trees include:</p>
<ul style="margin-left: 80px">
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in">Seeking out public and private partnerships to promote and support tree planting efforts.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in">Creating a local volunteer group for trees.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in">Educating the community about energy conservation benefits of trees.</li>
</ul><p style="margin-left: 0.25in"> </p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.25in"><em><strong>By: Eric Wiseman, Associate Professor, Dept. of Forest Resources &amp; Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech</strong></em></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68925/bonnie-braun
Bonnie Braun 2013-08-22T19:15:27Z
<p><img height="260" width="446" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/Bonnie%20Braun.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
<p>Bonnie Braun was born, raised and educated in Missouri. The Midwest vantage point framed her understanding of the diversity of people and perspectives. She was introduced to ideas and ways of living “back East, out West, up North and down south.” Over the years, her positions with Extension in multiple states and at the USDA took her to those areas where she experienced life in all four geographic regions. She moved from living on a farm, to small towns, to suburbs and cities.<br><br>
In 4-H, she was introduced to judging and stating reasons for the judgment. Her experience in 4-H judging contests led to an interest in how people make decisions. With degrees in education and an emphasis on family economics and family relations, she came to the conclusion that decision-making was central to individual, family and community living.<br><br>
Bonnie’s teaching and research focus on public and private decision-making. Through Extension, she helps individuals, groups and public policy makers understand issues, impacts, imperatives and options for action. She teaches professionals and the public how put “the public” into public policy.<br><br>
She created a consumer education curriculum for youth ages 9-19 to learn how to making informed consumer decisions. She’s a leader in evaluation of consumer education materials and curriculum. She teaches and conducts research about health literacy—the ability to get, understand and use health information. She is currently leading a multi-state Extension team in developing and testing a financial and health literacy curriculum titled <em>Smart Choice for Health Insurance</em>.<br><br>
Bonnie says, “Focusing on decision making is my way of strengthening our democracy. The likelihood that a decision will be a good one increases when consumers, citizens and policy makers are informed and skilled in the art of choice making for themselves, their families, businesses, community, the state and nation.”<br>
</p>
<h2>Contact Information</h2>
<p>Bonnie Braun, Ph.D.<br>
University of Maryland Extension family policy specialist<br><a href="mailto:bbraun@umd.edu" class="mailto_link">bbraun@umd.edu</a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sph.umd.edu/fmsc/people/SchoolofPublicHealthUMDDepartmentofFamilyScienceB.Braun.htm" class="external_link">University of Maryland bio</a> <br><a href="http://extension.umd.edu/insure" class="external_link">http://extension.umd.edu/insure</a></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68930/donna-shanklin
Donna Shanklin 2013-08-13T19:56:21Z
<p><img height="180" width="180" class="media-element file-preview" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/donna%20photo_1.jpg" alt="" title=""></p>
<p>Donna Shanklin is a traveler. As a military brat in the 1960s, she lived in half dozen places before settling in Kentucky when her dad retired.</p>
<p>Her first job was working at the local hamburger joint, but the job that impacted her life was working as a Integrated Pest Management Scout through the University of Kentucky's Todd County Cooperative Extension Service office. There she was introduced to insects, weeds, and action thresholds. Growing up in a rural area, Donna wasn't a farm kid, but appreciated nature and being outdoors.</p>
<p>She graduated from the University of Kentucky twice (B.S., M.S.), was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, and a fire ant specialist in Arkansas. She went to the University of South Florida for her M.P.H.;Donna arrived in Alabama in 2007. Her international work experience includes Farmer to Farmer experiences in Egypt, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and a 3 month experience in Bolivia with Save the Children.</p>
<p>Her travels have taught her several things - one important thing is that "Common sense is learned -- what we think is common sense like washing our hands, and rotating crops -- is something we have learned - either through experience or someone taught us."</p>
<p>As a leader in the eXtension Creating Healthy Communities community of practice, Shanklin's emphasis is environmental health. However, she is amazed with technology and how its use can impact people -- she is on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.</p>
<p><br><strong>Contact Information</strong><br><br>
Donna Shanklin, MS, MPH<br>
Regional Extension Agent - Human Nutrition, Diet and Health<br>
Alabama Cooperative Extension<br><a class="mailto_link" href="mailto:bbraun@umd.edu">drs0009@aces.edu</a></p>
<p>@drsala2010</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68919/what-happens-if-even-the-bronze-plan-under-the-affordable-care-act-aca-costs-too-much
What happens if even the bronze plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) costs too much? 2013-08-12T21:43:07Z
<p>The Affordable Care Act mandates that most people are insured either through their place of employment or purchasing a policy on their own. Remember, beginning in October 2013 there will be options in every state for purchasing insurance through a state-wide Marketplace.</p>
<p>There are exemptions from that mandate for several reasons including <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/will-i-qualify-to-save-on-out-of-pocket-costs/" class="external_link">financial hardship</a>, which is an official definition based on income and family size. The good news is that, depending upon your income level, <a href="http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/" class="external_link">you may qualify for a tax credit and/or cost-sharing subsidies</a> from the government to reduce how much you may pay for health insurance purchased through the official marketplace. If you choose not to purchase a policy, you will be required to pay an additional tax every year you do not purchase a policy. That tax will increase each year that you go without insurance. The first year that tax will be either $95 in 2015 or 1% of your income, whichever is MORE.</p>
<p>There will still be a catastrophic-coverage-only type of insurance plan available for younger people and those with extreme economic hardship. Uninsured people will not have to pay the fee if the Marketplace calculator determines their <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-someone-doesnt-have-health-coverage-in-2014/" class="external_link">income is too low or a few other reasons</a>. A <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/can-i-buy-a-catastrophic-plan/" class="external_link">catastrophic plan</a> can cover essential health benefits but only after you have met a very high deductible (several thousand dollars for an individual up to over $10,000 per family) that you have paid out of your pocket.</p>
<p>Also be sure to check any <a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/68365/what-health-insurance-plans-can-i-enroll-in" class="local_link">other special insurance programs and plans</a> for which you may be eligible.</p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68622/are-all-hospitals-supposed-to-accept-any-or-all-insurance
Are all hospitals supposed to accept any or all insurance? 2013-07-29T23:59:36Z
<p>In the past, each hospital has been able to select which insurance plans it will accept. This could mean that if you got sick or injured while traveling, for example, and you had to visit an emergency room that you may have had to pay entirely out of pocket for care provided at that distant hospital if they "didn't take your insurance."</p>
<p>This will no longer happen to a large degree. All Marketplace plans will offer the same set of <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/what-does-marketplace-health-insurance-cover/" target="_blank" class="external_link">essential health benefits</a>, Emergency services, laboratory services and hospitalization are a few of the essential benefits guaranteed to be included in every Marketplace plan and to be accepted by every hospital. Insurance plans will not be able to require higher <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/co-payment" target="_blank" class="external_link">co-payments</a> or <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/co-insurance" target="_blank" class="external_link">coinsurance</a> if you get emergency care from an <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/network" target="_blank" class="external_link">out-of-network</a> hospital. They also cannot require you to get prior approval before seeking emergency room services, even if that provider or hospital is outside your plan’s network. This means that when you are traveling away from your hospital network and need to visit an emergency room, your health insurance plan will provide coverage in the same way and with the same co-payments, co-insurance, etc. as if you had walked into the emergency room down the street.</p>
<p>An exception to this is possible in health plans created or bought before March 23, 2010, which are known as <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/grandfathered-health-plan" target="_blank" class="external_link">grandfathered</a> plans. If you purchase insurance through your workplace and are not sure whether your plan is "grandfathered," contact your employer or your benefits administrator to predict any out of the ordinary cost you should expect in the scenario described above. Many employer plans do provide the essential benefits even though they may not technically be required to under the new law, so there may be no difference in the costs you would experience away from home.</p>
<p>To learn more, click on this article on <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/how-does-the-health-care-law-protect-me/#part=6" target="_blank" class="external_link">How the Healthcare Law Protects You</a>.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68886/how-are-health-insurance-premiums-calculated
How are health insurance premiums calculated? 2013-07-25T20:42:53Z
<p>State and federal rules, as well as mathematical and statistical methods are used to assess risk in the insurance industry and these factors affect the cost of coverage. From a business perspective, companies selling health insurance need to set premiums at a level that at least covers the costs of selling the policy, administering the policy, and maintaining adequate funds in reserve to ensure to pay claims relating to the medical benefits provided to subscribers. If these costs are not covered, the company may become insolvent and not be able to pay their own bills. While premiums are used to cover the costs insurance companies need to stay open, a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that insurance companies use the money collected from premiums to primarily cover direct health care related costs, not on their advertising or other overhead costs.</p>
<p>Generally, the largest factor in determining how much a premium will be are the number and cost of benefits provided in that specific plan. The ACA is also restricting how premium rates can be set. Beginning in 2014, <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-i-have-a-pre-existing-health-condition/" target="_blank" class="external_link">policies cannot charge you more based on pre-existing conditions</a> such as diabetes, asthma, pregnancy, or a disability. </p>
<p>Health care plans are only allowed to adjust the price of premium (rate the policy) based on these factors:</p>
<ul>
<li>Age (the most expensive premium can only cost 3 times more then the least expensive premium based on age)</li>
<li>Geographic Location (premium prices in the marketplace may vary depending on where you live)</li>
<li>Individual- only or family enrollment plans (the number of people covered on the plan will effect the premium costs)</li>
<li>Tobacco use (premium costs for tobacco users can be no more than 1.5 times higher then premium costs of non-tobacco users)</li>
</ul><p>Additionally some states are making modifications to these factors so that the premium prices would have even less variation.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the least expensive policy may not be the best choice for your personal situation. Several tools such as <a href="http://www.extension.umd.edu/insure/consumer-resources" target="_blank" class="external_link">worksheets that help you consider your healthcare needs and ability to pay</a> are available to help you make a decision based on cost and other important factors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68916/will-my-childs-dental-costs-be-covered-by-the-affordable-care-act
Will my child's dental costs be covered by the Affordable Care Act? 2013-07-21T22:33:30Z
<p>YES - according to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health plans offered through anyone other than a large employer must offer a specific package of benefits called "<a href="http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-ins-mandates-and-aca-essential-benefits.aspx" class="external_link">Essential Health Benefits</a>" (EHB). The EHB package includes <a href="http://www.nadp.org/Libraries/LMS/The_ACA_and_Dental_Coverage--The_Basics--Jan_2013.sflb.ashx" class="external_link">dental care for children</a>. Each state will determine the specific children’s dental services that must be included in the plans offered in their state. Adult dental coverage is not included in the EHB package, but adults can purchase dental insurance if they wish. People purchasing insurance through a large employer are not required to purchase dental care for themselves or their children and will not pay a penalty if they opt out of the dental coverage offered by their employer.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68659/health-insurance-faqs
Health Insurance FAQs 2013-07-19T17:11:48Z
<p>The Health Insurance Literacy ASK group provides answers to your questions about the <a href="/pages/68424/affordable-care-act" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Affordable Care Act</a> to help you make smart health insurance choices and to plan your personal finances.</p>
<p>Here is a collection of the most common questions. If you can't find the answer to your question among the list, you can search for additional information using the search box at the top of the page or submit your own personal question to our <a href="https://ask.extension.org/groups/1790" target="_blank" class="local_link">Ask an Expert Feature</a>. The original concept for this work can be viewed in our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e4ubbzAV14" target="_blank" class="external_link">intro video</a>. You can also connect with the ASK group through our social media sites:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AskHealthLit" target="_blank" class="external_link"><img height="62" width="62" style="WIDTH: 62px; HEIGHT: 62px" alt="Facebook logo" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/facebook_sm.png" title=""></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/askhealthlit" target="_blank" class="external_link"><img height="61" width="62" style="WIDTH: 62px; HEIGHT: 61px" alt="Twitter logo" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/twitter-sm.jpg" title=""></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/askhealthlit" target="_blank" class="external_link"><img height="62" width="62" style="WIDTH: 62px; HEIGHT: 62px" alt="Pinterest logo" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/pinterest_sm.png" title=""></a></p>
<p><strong>How Do I Understand Coverage Details?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/68612/what-is-the-difference-between-bronze-silver-gold-and-platinum-plans" target="_blank" class="internal_link">What is the difference between bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68611/how-will-the-affordable-care-act-apply-to-veterans-who-sometimes-use-va-services" target="_blank" class="internal_link">How will the Affordable Care Act apply to Veterans who sometimes use VA services?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68614/can-grandchildren-being-taken-care-of-by-grandparents-be-on-our-insurance-until-age-26-and-what-if-w" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Can grandchildren being taken care of by grandparents be on our insurance until age 26 and what if we go on Medicare?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68613/where-can-i-find-out-more-about-how-medicare-is-impacted-by-the-affordable-care-act" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Where can I find out more about how Medicare is impacted by the Affordable Care Act?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68365/what-health-insurance-plans-can-i-enroll-in" target="_blank" class="internal_link">What health insurance plans can I enroll in?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68598/are-all-pre-existing-conditions-allowed" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Are all pre-existing conditions allowed?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68615/will-obtaining-the-aca-tax-credit-or-the-low-or-no-cost-health-insurance-reduce-my-other-benefits-su" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Will obtaining the ACA tax credit or the low or no-cost health insurance reduce my other benefits such as SNAP (food stamps) or subsidized housing?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68616/is-there-anything-i-need-to-know-about-maternity-related-coverage" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Is there anything I need to know about maternity related coverage?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68617/will-this-affect-my-ability-to-choose-my-physician-and-what-he-can-do-for-me" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Will this affect my ability to choose my physician and what he can do for me?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68622/are-all-hospitals-supposed-to-accept-any-or-all-insurance" class="internal_link">Are all hospitals supposed to accept any or all insurance?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68362/how-are-health-insurance-and-car-insurance-similar-and-different" target="_blank" class="internal_link">How are health insurance and car insurance similar and different?</a></li>
</ul><p><strong>How Much Will it Cost?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/68618/where-can-i-find-a-copy-of-the-most-updated-version-of-the-affordable-care-act" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Where can I find a copy of the most updated version of the Affordable Care Act?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68284/what-will-it-cost-if-i-dont-get-health-insurance" target="_blank" class="internal_link">What will it cost if I don’t get health insurance?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68363/what-and-why-do-i-have-to-pay-for-health-care-when-i-have-insurance" target="_blank" class="internal_link">What and why do I have to pay for health care when I have insurance?</a></li>
</ul><p><strong>How Do I Prepare to Pay?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/68581/is-there-anyone-who-can-help-me-determine-my-best-health-insurance-option" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Is there anyone who can help me determine my best health insurance option?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68597/is-providing-insurance-required-for-the-employer-for-anyone-who-works-more-than-29-hoursweek" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Is providing insurance required for the employer for anyone who works more than 29 hrs/week?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68582/why-is-there-a-health-insurance-marketplace" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Why is there a Health Insurance Marketplace?</a></li>
<li><a href="/pages/68625/how-do-i-take-on-a-new-cost-for-health-insurance-when-i-can-barely-pay-my-bills-now" target="_blank" class="internal_link">How do I take on a new cost for health insurance when I can barely pay my bills now?</a></li>
</ul><p><strong>What Do All the New Healthcare <em>Buzzwords </em>Mean?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/pages/68605/is-there-a-place-that-explains-all-the-abbreviations-and-definitions-of-health-insurance-plans" target="_blank" class="internal_link">Is there a place that explains all the abbreviations and definitions of health insurance plans?</a></li>
<li>
<a href="/pages/68620/what-is-the-difference-between-a-premium-a-co-pay-and-and-out-of-pocket-expense" target="_blank" class="internal_link">What is the difference between a pre</a><a href="/pages/68620/what-is-the-difference-between-a-premium-a-co-pay-and-and-out-of-pocket-expense" target="_blank" class="internal_link">mium, a co-pay and and out-of-pocket expense?</a>
</li>
<li><a href="/pages/68621/what-do-epo-ppo-and-pos-mean" target="_blank" class="internal_link">What do EPO, PPO and POS mean?</a></li>
</ul><p><br>
Disclaimer: The Affordable Care Act contains many complex rules. The materials provided here are for informational purposes. They are intended to help you gain a better understanding about the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act and how they may affect you. The materials are not intended to be a substitute for personalized, professional advice.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68625/how-do-i-take-on-a-new-cost-for-health-insurance-when-i-can-barely-pay-my-bills-now
How do I take on a new cost for health insurance when I can barely pay my bills now? 2013-07-15T21:52:58Z
<p>A spending plan is just exactly that, a plan for how you will spend all the dollars your earn and those given to you (including, hopefully, directing some to savings). To make a change in your spending plan such as adding in health insurance costs or taking on a new car payment, it helps to be as inclusive as possible when calculating all of your monthly expenses. In other words, don't write in only the premium cost, but include some for co-pays and co-insurance and deductibles required by the plan much the same as you would not include only the car payment, but also gas, maintenance, and auto insurance coverage. See the FAQ "<a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/35920/what-are-some-tips-to-make-developing-a-budget-or-spending-plan-easier" target="_blank" class="local_link">What are some tips to make developing a spending plan easier?</a>"</p>
<p>First complete a spending plan worksheet that reflects as closely as possible where your money is going now, then do another spending plan worksheet that projects how and where you want to be spending money with the new item in place going forward. You will have to cross some things off and move dollars around to allow for a new expense, but be sure to keep your spending plan realistic above all other concerns. If it doesn't work out and you will be spending more than you earn, you need to know this as soon as possible and give yourself time to make a different plan. The University of Maryland Extension provides a <a href="http://www.extension.umd.edu/insure/consumer-resources" target="_blank" class="external_link">Spending Plan Worksheet</a>.</p>
<p>A close look at the total expenses of any health insurance plan according to the way you expect to use the plan is needed to work into your spending plan new or different health care coverage costs. The University of Maryland Extension also provides a <a href="http://www.extension.umd.edu/insure/consumer-resources" target="_blank" class="external_link">Health Insurance Comparison Worksheet</a>.</p>
<p>If you find that you do not believe that you can afford adequate health insurance, don't panic! There are <a href="http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/healthpolicy/calculator/" target="_blank" class="external_link">subsidies</a> and lower cost or no cost programs for which you may qualify. See also the FAQ "<a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/68365/what-health-insurance-plans-can-i-enroll-in" target="_blank" class="local_link">What health insurance plans can I enroll in?</a>" and more information at <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/how-can-i-save-money-on-marketplace-coverage/" target="_blank" class="external_link">Healthcare.gov</a> on keeping healthcare costs manageable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68581/is-there-anyone-who-can-help-me-determine-my-best-health-insurance-option
Is there anyone who can help me determine my best health insurance option? 2013-07-15T21:01:59Z
<p>Each state will have consumer helpers available to assist individuals with health insurance decision-making. Find these helpers at<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank" class="external_link">Healthcare.gov</a><strong> </strong>the official site which provides accurate information to guide you through health insurance decision-making, and which also connects you to the <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual#state=alabama" target="_blank" class="external_link">Health Insurance Marketplace in your state</a>.</p>
<p>Beware of commercial insurance industry professionals offering "free advice" or "assistance;" their efforts may be just a ploy to get you to buy their company's policy regardless of other options that may meet your needs more completely, or at a lower cost. Also beware of scams. If someone calls you claiming to represent a government organization and tries to offer you an “Obamacare card” or threatens you in some way unless you buy insurance, do not continue the call. Consumer advocates and government officials are warning Americans of the realities of scam artists trying to steal credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, financial and other personal information.</p>
<p>Helpers trained according to Federal standards and guaranteed not to be commercially biased will be known by these titles:</p>
<p><strong>Health Navigators</strong> will provide information on health coverage options, answer questions, and help you enroll in a plan. They will be available in every state and will not have biases toward or ties with any insurance companies. They will complete a standard training and be licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services.</p>
<p><strong>In-Person Assistors (IPAs)</strong> will provide a similar service to the Health Navigators, but will be present only in states that are served by a state-run marketplace or a joint federal-state marketplace.</p>
<p><strong>Certified Ap</strong><strong>plication Counselors (CACs)</strong> may be provided by local organizations in some communities to address specific needs; they will not receive federal funding, but will receive high-quality training.</p>
<p>Health Navigators and IPAs will begin working with consumers on October 1, 2013. As that date approaches, this article on <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/how-do-i-get-help-enrolling-in-the-marketplace" target="_blank" class="external_link">How to Get Help Enrolling in the Marketplace</a> will provide details on sources of help in your area.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68582/why-is-there-a-health-insurance-marketplace
Why is there a Health Insurance Marketplace? 2013-07-15T20:42:09Z
<p>The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandates that each state must have an online health insurance "<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual/#state=alabama" class="external_link">marketplace</a>" or "exchange" to make comparing health insurance and purchasing a policy easier for you. This is not the only way to enroll. More information about getting help by phone or in person is available in the FAQ "<a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/68581/is-there-anyone-who-can-help-me-determine-my-best-health-insurance-option" target="_blank" class="local_link">Is there ayone who can help me determine my best health insurance option?"</a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual/#state=alabama" target="_blank" class="external_link">Health Insurance Marketplace</a> will be open October 1, 2013 for individuals and families buying their own coverage, small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and the self-employed.</p>
<p>The Marketplace is intended to be efficient; to be easy to access and understand; to include price, quality and benefits details of options to consider; to allow for a streamlined enrollment process for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and to inform you if you are elligible for low or no-cost health insurance coverage and allow you to access these benefits directly through the Marketplace.</p>
<p>The main reason for the Health Insurance Marketplace's coming into being is to have a central portal through which people who need to can self-educate, determine costs, and make selections for health insurance coverage.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68362/how-are-health-insurance-and-car-insurance-similar-and-different
How are health insurance and car insurance similar and different? 2013-07-15T20:14:32Z
<p>Car (automobile) insurance is similar to health insurance in a very important way: both types of policies provide protection against financial losses. </p>
<p>Automobile and health insurance both help policyholders cover large costs that could financially devastate the individual or the family, like those experienced in unexpected car accidents or major medical procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy, expensive tests, or hospital stays. </p>
<p>Health insurance generally provides a wider range of benefits than car insurance. Car insurance, for example, will not pay for routine expenses, like diagnostics, oil changes, fluids, or new tires while health insurance often does help pay for routine screenings and check-ups. Under the Affordable Care Act all policies obtained through the Marketplace will cover several <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my-preventive-care-benefits" target="_blank" class="external_link">essential health benefits</a> that focus on screening, preventing disease and increasing wellness.</p>
<p>No health insurance plan covers every service and prices vary, so it is important to shop around to see what each option provides to best meet your health care needs.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68597/is-providing-insurance-required-for-the-employer-for-anyone-who-works-more-than-29-hoursweek
Is providing insurance required for the employer for anyone who works more than 29 hours/week? 2013-07-15T19:53:24Z
<p>Working 29 hours a week will not automatically require your employer to provide health insurance coverage. It will depend on the size of the business.</p>
<p>Employers who have 50 or more full-time employees ( Large Employers) must offer affordable health insurance with minimum coverage requirements to their full time staff. The coverage is considered affordable if the premiums paid by the employee do not exceed 9.5% of their annual household income. </p>
<p>To determine the number of full-time employees, an employer must combine all working hours and divide by the number of staff members. A full-time employee for health coverage determination will work an equivalent of 30 hours each week. There are guidelines describing how and when to include seasonal employees. </p>
<p>If an employer has the obligation to offer health coverage and the plans are not affordable or an employee qualifies for a health insurance credit for purchase of coverage available on the Exchange, the employer may be required to pay an annual penalty.</p>
<p>Employers with less than 50 employees are not required to provide coverage. Business owners with 25 or fewer full time employees who offer coverage can receive tax credits. The IRS provides more detailed information in this document about <a href="http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Questions-and-Answers-on-Employer-Shared-Responsibility-Provisions-Under-the-Affordable-Care-Act" target="_blank" class="external_link">Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions</a>.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68621/what-do-epo-ppo-and-pos-mean
What do EPO, PPO and POS mean? 2013-07-15T17:56:53Z
<p>In the world of health insurance, there are separate and distinct types of insurance plans. In general, the three types of plans are Exclusive Provider (EPO) network, Preferred Provider (PPO) network, and Point of Service (POS) network. These plans differ by cost and types of coverage provided.</p>
<p>The Exclusive Provider network or EPO is a managed care plan where services are covered only if you go to doctors, specialists, or hospitals in the plan’s network (except in an emergency). This means that you cannot go to out-of-network doctors and have it covered by your insurance (except in an emergency) but the premium and deductibles are usually the lowest of the three plan types.</p>
<p>The Preferred Provider network or PPO is a plan that contracts with medical providers, such as hospitals and doctors, to create a network of participating providers. You pay less if you use providers that are part of the plan’s network but you still can use doctors, hospitals, and providers outside of the network, even in non-emergency situations for an additional cost. This plan usually has the greatest flexibility in choice of doctors.</p>
<p>The Point of Service network or POS is a plan in which you pay less if you use doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that belong to the plan’s network, and this plan may require you to get a referral from your primary care doctor in order to see a specialist.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank" class="external_link">Healthcare.gov</a> provides a <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary" target="_blank" class="external_link">comprehensive glossary of terms</a>. The University of Maryland Extension provides a <a href="https://www.extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_images/programs/insure/HILI%20Sample%20Plan%20Overview%203-30-13.pdf" target="_blank" class="external_link">hypothetical comparison between fictional EPO, PPO and POS plans</a> as a teaching tool, but actual differences between plans and associated costs that you will compare will vary.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68620/what-is-the-difference-between-a-premium-a-co-pay-and-and-out-of-pocket-expense
What is the difference between a premium, a co-pay and and out-of-pocket expense? 2013-07-15T17:38:53Z
<p>Health Insurance Plan costs can be broken into two categories: <a href="http://www.washingtonhealth.hca.wa.gov/definitions.html" target="_blank" class="external_link">cost of having the plan and costs of using the plan</a>. In order to purchase and continue to have health insurance coverage, you have to pay a premium. The premium is paid on a regular basis such as a certain amount monthly, quarterly or yearly. It is typical that when purchased through your employer, the plan premium is deducted from each paycheck. Basically, the premium buys you the health insurance plan.</p>
<p>You also have to pay certain fees when you use the health insurance plan. You often have to pay a portion of the charges for doctor visits, lab work, hospitals, prescriptions and/or other health related services and providers. A <em>co-pay </em>is a fixed dollar amount (a partial payment) for a health care expense that is covered by your plan. You may also have <em>co-insurance</em> in your plan. Unlike a <em>co-pay</em> which is a fixed dollar amount, the <em>coinsurance</em> amount you pay is based on a percentage. It is a percent you have to pay for health care expenses that are covered under your health insurance plan in addition to your fixed dollar co-pay. An <em>out-of-pocket expense</em> is any part of a health care expense (doctor visits, equipment, medicine, etc.) that is not covered by your health insurance (either fully or partly) that you are responsible for paying. <em>Co-pays</em> and <em>coinsurance</em> are both considered <em>out-of-pocket expenses</em>.</p>
<p>The Department of Labor has a <a href="http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/SBCUniformGlossary.pdf" target="_blank" class="external_link">Glossary of Health Coverage and Medical Terms</a> that represents well the relationship between all of these types of expenses.</p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68614/can-grandchildren-being-taken-care-of-by-grandparents-be-on-our-insurance-until-age-26-and-what-if-w
Can grandchildren being taken care of by grandparents be on our insurance until age 26 and what if we go on Medicare? 2013-07-15T15:36:24Z
<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;"></p><div class="singleimage"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:180px;">
<img height="180" width="180" style="width: 180px; height: 180px; float: right;" alt="Grandparent" title="Grandparent" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/boy-20233.jpg"><div class="thumbcaption">Grandparent</div>
</div></div></div>If you are the legal guardian or foster parent, your grandchildren can be added to a healthcare plan you purchase on your own through your employer until they reach the age of 26. If you are not the legal guardian, they will not be covered in your individual or employer plans and you will have to look at other options.
<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;">Medicare is and will remain as individual health insurance only for those 65 and over. If you are on Medicare only and your grandchild is between 18- 26 years of age, he/she can obtain health coverage through your state's Marketplace/Health Exchange and may be eligible for low or no cost coverage.</p>
<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;">If you are on Medicare and are caring for minor grandchildren under age 18, your state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may provide an option.</p>
<p style="margin-left: -4.5pt;">See the FAQ "<a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/68365/what-health-insurance-plans-can-i-enroll-in" target="_blank" class="local_link">What health insurance plans can I enroll in</a>" for more information and links to contacts.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68613/where-can-i-find-out-more-about-how-medicare-is-impacted-by-the-affordable-care-act
Where can I find out more about how Medicare is impacted by the Affordable Care Act? 2013-07-15T15:31:37Z
<p></p><div class="singleimage"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:180px;">
<img height="180" width="180" style="width: 180px; height: 180px; float: left;" alt="Am I covered?" title="Am I covered?" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/Reflections%20on%20age.jpg"><div class="thumbcaption">Am I covered?</div>
</div></div></div>
<p>Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are still available for citizens 65 and over.</p>
<p>Because of Affordable Care Act mandates, Medicare-enrolled people will have many new preventive benefits available to them such as <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/if-i-have-medicare-do-i-need-to-do-anything/" target="_blank" class="external_link">screening and wellness visits under Medicare Part B</a>. Medicare Part D (Prescription Drugs) will have an additional discount on generic drugs that will eventually <a href="http://www.medicare.gov/part-d/costs/coverage-gap/part-d-coverage-gap.html" target="_blank" class="external_link">close the "donut hole" gap by 2020</a>.</p>
<p>These <a href="http://www.aarp.org/health/health-care-reform/health_reform_factsheets/" target="_blank" class="external_link">Healthcare Reform Fact sheets by AARP</a> may also be helpful for answering questions many older Americans' may have regarding the ACA and Medicare.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68618/where-can-i-find-a-copy-of-the-most-updated-version-of-the-affordable-care-act
Where can I find a copy of the most updated version of the Affordable Care Act? 2013-07-15T15:25:34Z
<p>The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law on March 23, 2010, was amended on March 30, 2010 by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Care_and_Education_Reconciliation_Act_of_2010" target="_blank" class="external_link">Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act</a>. Affordable Care Act (ACA) refers to the final version of the law.</p>
<p>Click "Read the Law" and check out the information and links at <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/law/" class="external_link">http://www.healthcare.gov/law/</a>.</p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68617/will-this-affect-my-ability-to-choose-my-physician-and-what-he-can-do-for-me
Will this affect my ability to choose my physician and what he can do for me? 2013-07-15T15:15:02Z
<p>The Affordable Care Act does not interfere with and new information available to you as part of the ACA educational outreach may even help with <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/where-can-i-find-provider-information" target="_blank" class="external_link">selection of your physician</a>. Physicians still opt in and out of different health insurance plans, just like they do today. This is reflected when you hear that your preferred doctor is or is not a "participating provider" in your plan. Physicians still also decide whether or not to accept Medicaid or Medicare enrolled patients or can designate themselves cash-only providers. There are no additional ACA-related limitations on whom you may select as a healthcare provider. So, your ability to choose your physician remains the same. Check with the doctor to make sure they accept your health insurance plan and if they have any openings. If they do not accept your plan, depending on the plan you have, your health insurance may still cover services provided by them, but at a lower rate or perhaps you will have to pay for their services as an out-of-pocket expense that helps you meet a deductible.</p>
<p>As far as what a doctor can or will do for you, physicians are now getting rewarded for keeping you healthy longer. This may mean your selected physician will be asking you to get <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my-preventive-care-benefits/" target="_blank" class="external_link">preventive care</a> such as yearly checkups, exercising more and eating better. Nothing in the ACA limits what a physician can prescribe in terms of necessary tests, treatments or prescription medications.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68616/is-there-anything-i-need-to-know-about-maternity-related-coverage
Is there anything I need to know about maternity-related coverage? 2013-07-15T14:51:12Z
<p>Maternity-related healthcare services are one of the <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/what-does-marketplace-health-insurance-cover" target="_blank" class="external_link">essential benefits</a> guaranteed to consumers. This means that both health insurance options purchased through the <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual#state=alabama" target="_blank" class="external_link">Health Insurance Marketplace</a> and those purchased through an employer include maternity-related services. Pregnancy is a pre-existing condition to insurance purchase in some cases and since pre-existing conditions no longer are allowed to cause denial of coverage nor a higher premium assigned to you due, you can breath easy if you are currently pregnant and insurance plan shopping. In addition to maternity related coverage and pricing guarantees, there are several <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/how-does-the-health-care-law-protect-me" target="_blank" class="external_link">protections for consumers</a> written into this law.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68615/will-obtaining-the-aca-tax-credit-or-the-low-or-no-cost-health-insurance-reduce-my-other-benefits-su
Will obtaining the ACA tax credit or the low or no-cost health insurance reduce my other benefits such as SNAP (food stamps) or subsidized housing? 2013-07-15T14:37:53Z
<p>Absolutely not. In no way will taking the tax credit or obtaining health insurance prevent people from obtaining benefits nor will it reduce their existing government-assistance benefits. See the FAQ "<a href="http://www.extension.org/pages/68365/what-health-insurance-plans-can-i-enroll-in" class="local_link">What insurance plans can I enroll in</a>" for more information on no- and low-cost options. Calculate expected costs and subsidies with this <a href="http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/healthpolicy/calculator/" target="_blank" class="external_link">online calculator for University of California-Berkley</a>. Many individuals and families will be eligible to receive subsidized (lower cost) coverage in the Exchange, depending upon their income level.</p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68605/is-there-a-place-that-explains-all-the-abbreviations-and-definitions-of-health-insurance-plans
Is there a place that explains all the abbreviations and definitions of health insurance plans? 2013-07-12T17:03:09Z
<p><a href="http://www.healthcare.gov" class="external_link"><div class="singleimage"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:180px;">
<img height="180" width="180" style="width: 180px; height: 180px; float: left;" alt="Looking up Definitions" title="Looking up Definitions" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/adult-18598.jpg"><div class="thumbcaption">Looking up Definitions</div>
</div></div></div></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.healthcare.gov" class="external_link">Healthcare.gov</a> was established to keep individuals informed of changes taking place in health care insurance. They also provide a <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/c/index.html" target="_blank" class="external_link">glossary of health insurance related terms</a> used to describe coverage and language usually associated with the business of insurance. Note that a guide is at the top of the page to move through the alphabet.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.washingtonhealth.hca.wa.gov/definitions.html" target="_blank" class="external_link">Washington State health insurance site</a> also provides some examples and terms.</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68598/are-all-pre-existing-conditions-allowed
Are all pre-existing conditions allowed? 2013-07-11T22:51:53Z
<p></p><div class="singleimage"><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:180px;">
<img height="180" width="180" style="width: 180px; height: 180px; float: right;" alt="Heart Condition" title="Heart Condition" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/styles/preview/public/body-116585.jpg"><div class="thumbcaption">Heart Condition</div>
</div></div></div>Yes, all pre-existing conditions are allowed and can no longer be used to bar an individual from obtaining health insurance coverage. This provision of health care reform and guarantee of coverage went into effect for children in 2010 and will apply to adults in 2014. Premiums will not be allowed to use pre-existing conditions as a factor for establishing rates.
<p>The cost of coverage can be adjusted using only these four factors:</p>
<p>1) whether the policy covers an individual or is a family plan</p>
<p>2) the rating area or geographic location of coverage</p>
<p>3) the age of the individuals covered by the policy</p>
<p>4) whether or not the covered individuals use tobacco products</p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/68284/what-will-it-cost-if-i-dont-get-health-insurance
What will it cost if I don’t get health insurance? 2013-07-08T21:25:52Z
<p align="left"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">The Affordable Care Act has an individual mandate, so that means after January 1, 2014, all Americans will be required to purchase health insurance. If you do not have a health insurance plan, then you will be required to pay an additional tax that will be tracked along with income tax filing. In 2014, that tax will be $95 per adult or 1% of an individual's income, whichever is greater. By 2016, it will increase to $695 per adult or 2.5% of an individual's income. For dependent children without health insurance, the tax will be half the cost of adult tax per child.</font></font></p>
<p><br><strong><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">TAX IN 2014</font></font></strong></p>
<p align="left"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">$95 per adult/ $47.50 per child/ up to $285 for a family OR 1% taxable income</font></font></p>
<p><strong><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">TAX IN 2015</font></font></strong></p>
<p align="left"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">$325 per adult/ $162.50 per child/ up to $975 for a family OR 2% taxable income</font></font></p>
<p><strong><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">TAX IN 2016 AND BEYOND</font></font></strong></p>
<p align="left"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">$695 per adult/ $347.50 per child/ up to $2,085 for a family OR 2.5% taxable income</font></font></p>
<p><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"> </font></font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">People who may not be required to purchase health insurance include:</font></font></p>
<p><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">• Individuals who have religious objections<br>
• American Indians<br>
• Individuals who have been uninsured for 3 months or less<br>
• Undocumented immigrants<br>
• Incarcerated individuals<br>
• Individuals for which the lowest-cost health plan would exceed 8% of their income<br>
• Individuals with income below the tax-filing threshold</font></font></p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<address align="left"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2">Source: </font></font><font face="TimesNewRoman" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman" size="2">Patel, K. K., M. L. West, L. M. Hernandez, V. Y. Wu, W. F. Wong, and R. M. Parker. 2013. </font></font><a href="http://iom.edu/Global/Perspectives/2013/HelpingConsumersUnderstandandUseHealthInsurance.aspx" class="external_link"><i><font face="TimesNewRoman,Italic" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Italic" size="2">Helping consumers understand and use health insurance in 2014</font></font></i></a><font face="TimesNewRoman" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman" size="2">. Discussion Paper, Institute of Medicine, </font></font><font face="TimesNewRoman" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman" size="2">Washington, DC.</font></font></font></font></address>
<p align="left"><b><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"> </font></font></b></p>
<p><b><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"> </font></font></b></p>
<p align="left"><b><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"><font face="TimesNewRoman,Bold" size="2"> </font></font></b></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/67804/urban-forests-can-increase-cultural-identity-and-sense-of-place-in-a-community
Urban Forests Can Increase Cultural Identity and Sense of Place in a Community 2013-03-29T16:55:50Z
<p><strong>Increase in Cultural Identity and Sense of Place</strong></p>
<p>Trees are a significant part of a community, offering important benefits not easily measured. Imagine what a community would be like without any trees. Trees and other landscaping add beauty to an urban area. Retailers often landscape their premises to improve community image and attract customers. A visitor's first impression of a community is greatly influenced by the trees and other landscaping.</p>
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<td><img style="WIDTH: 250px; HEIGHT: 188px" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/thebean_0.jpg" width="3264" height="2448" alt="" title=""></td>
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<p>The Bean Chicago, IL</p>
<p style="text-align: right"><em>Photo Credit: Raina Sheridan</em></p>
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<p style="margin-left: 40px">Neighborhoods with attractive landscapes foster a sense of community and belonging. People often identify with their own community by its tree-lined streets and historic groves of trees. Trees may also be associated with specific places, such as palm trees at a beach or memories of past events or times, such as a favorite tree climbed as a youth. Many communities have historical trees that have become landmarks. They may also be a focus point in the community's identity, such as the live oaks or magnolias that are part of the culture in many Southern cities.</p>
<p><strong><em>Community involvement </em></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px">Community pride increases when neighborhood residents participate in local tree-planting programs. Such activities enhance a sense of ownership and an ongoing interest in developing and maintaining trees. This participation increases the success rate of the planting program. However, without local involvement in the planning and planting of the trees, the efforts may be viewed negatively by the residents.</p>
<p><strong><em>Decrease in violence </em></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px">Less violence occurs in urban public housing where there are trees. Researchers Sullivan and Kuo (1996) suggest that trees afford a place for neighbors to meet and get to know each other. Their research showed that friendships developed into a network of support.</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px"> </p>
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<td><img style="WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 338px" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/Chatt%20UrbFors%20052.jpg" width="3264" height="2448" alt="" title=""></td>
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<p>Coolidge Park, Chattanooga, TN</p>
<p style="text-align: right"><em>Photo Credit: Raina Sheridan</em></p>
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<p>To learn this content and more for ISA or SAF credit, go to <a href="http://cfegroup.org" class="external_link">cfegroup.org</a>!</p>
<p>To learn this content and more for volunteer hours and a certificate of completion, enroll in eLearn Urban Forestry at <a href="http://campus.extension.org/course/category.php?id=93" class="local_link">campus.extension.org</a>!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Citations:</strong></p>
<p>Dwyer, J.F.; Schroeder, H.W.; Gobster, P.H. 1991. The significance of urban trees and forests: toward a deeper understanding of values. Journal of Arboriculture. 17(10)(Oct. 1991):276-84.</p>
<p>Kuo, F.E.; Sullivan, W.C.; Coley, R.L.; Brunson, L. 1998. Fertile ground for community: Inner-city neighborhood common spaces. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26(6), 823-851.</p>
<p>Kuo, F.E.; Sullivan, W.C. 2001. Aggression and violence in the inner city: Impacts of environment via mental fatigue. Environment and Behavior, 33(4), 543-571.</p>
<p>Westphal, L. 2003. Urban greening and social benefits: A study of empowerment outcomes. Journal of Arboriculture, 29(3): 137-147.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>By: Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region</strong></em></p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/67800/urban-forests-help-to-improve-health-and-well-being
Urban Forests Help to Improve Health and Well-being 2013-03-29T16:48:13Z
<p>Life in a bustling urban setting can be both physically and mentally stressful, but there are indications that trees and other plants help improve human health.</p>
<p><strong>Physical and mental health </strong></p>
<p>The soothing influence of trees can help reduce stress levels and increase enjoyment of everyday activities. Physical activity in green spaces such as parks increases ties, reduces obesity, and improves mental health. Trees also contribute to cleaner air and water, which provides for an overall healthier community.</p>
<p><strong>Recuperation rates and therapy </strong></p>
<p>One study of recuperation rates after surgery found that patients whose windows offered a view of a wooded landscape recovered faster and with less medicine than patients who could only look out on brick walls (Ulrich 1984; Kellert 1996). Therapists are now using trees and other plants to help people with physical and mental problems.</p>
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<td><img style="WIDTH: 500px; HEIGHT: 375px" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/Recreation2.jpg" width="2592" height="1944" alt="" title=""></td>
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<p>Trees provide shade and comfort to park benches, creating an inviting place to relax.</p>
<p style="text-align: right"><em>Photo Credit: Raina Sheridan</em></p>
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</tbody></table><p><strong>Part of nature </strong></p>
<p>Trees bring urban residents closer to nature. A healthy urban forest is the most effective way to re-establish this sense of being part of the larger natural environment. Some people have a strong emotional attachment to trees.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To learn this content and more for ISA and SAF credit, go to <a href="http://cfegroup.org" class="external_link">cfegroup.org</a>!</p>
<p>To learn this content and more for volunteer hours and a certificate of completion, enroll in eLearn Urban Forestry at <a href="http://campus.extension.org/course/category.php?id=93" class="local_link">campus.extension.org</a>!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Citations:</strong></p>
<p>Kellert, S. R. 1996. The value of life: Biological diversity and human society. Island Press: Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>Ulrich, P.S. 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224: 420-421.</p>
<p>Wolf, K.L. 1998. Trees in business districts. positive effects on consumer behvaior! Fact Sheet #5. Seattle, WA: University of Washington.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em>By: Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region</em></strong></p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/67794/urban-forests-improve-recreational-opportunities
Urban Forests Improve Recreational Opportunities 2013-03-29T14:31:00Z
<p>Many city residents appreciate the recreational benefits urban forests provide. With the growing emphasis on physical fitness, urban forests, parks, and open spaces have become increasingly popular as places to walk, run, bike, and hike. Urban parks are often sites for large community events, such as art and music festivals. Some festivals are centered around trees such as the Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia and the Dogwood Festival in Paducah, Kentucky.</p>
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<td><img height="2448" width="3264" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/Recreation.jpg" alt="" title=""></td>
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<td>Photo Credit: Raina Sheridan</td>
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</tbody></table><p><strong><em>By: Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region</em></strong></p>
<p>To learn this content and more for ISA and SAF credit, go to <a href="http://cfegroup.org" class="external_link">cfegroup.org</a>!</p>
<p>To learn this content and more for volunteer hours and a certificate of completion, enroll in eLearn Urban Forestry at <a href="http://campus.extension.org/course/category.php?id=93" class="local_link">campus.extension.org</a>!</p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/67410/urban-trees-can-be-used-for-bioremediation
Urban Trees Can Be Used for Bioremediation 2013-03-21T15:43:49Z
<p>Trees can remediate and serve as buffers to sites that have been contaminated with both inorganic and organic compounds, such as metals and nitrates.</p>
<p>Remediation of inorganic compounds typically occurs in one of three ways: contaminants are absorbed up into the tree’s plant parts, adsorbed onto the tree’s roots, or immobilized in the soil. Remediation of organic compounds also typically occurs in one of three ways: contaminants are absorbed and broken down into safer compounds, mycorrhizae break down the contaminants in the root zone, or contaminants are absorbed and released as safer compounds into the atmosphere.</p>
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<p>Poplar is a tree used in urban settings for bioremediation.</p>
<p style="text-align: right"><em>Photo Credit: Raina Sheridan</em></p>
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</tbody></table><p>To learn this content and more for ISA or SAF credit, go to <a href="http://cfegroup.org" class="external_link">cfegroup.org</a></p>
<p>To learn this content and more for volunteer hours and a certificate of completion, enroll in eLearn Urban Forestry at <a href="http://campus.extension.org/course/category.php?id=93" class="local_link">campus.extension.org</a></p>
<p><strong>Citation:</strong></p>
<p>Westphal, L. and Isebrands, J.G. 2001. Phytoremediation of Chicago’s Brownfields: Consideration of Ecological Approaches and Social Issues. Evanston, IL: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station.</p>
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<p><em><strong>By: Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region</strong></em></p>
<p> </p> Contributorshttp://www.extension.org:80/pages/67492/soil-contamination-and-urban-trees
Soil Contamination and Urban Trees 2013-03-01T17:27:58Z
<p>Soil can be contaminated by masonry, wood, paper, asphalt, paint, fuel, cement, oil, salt, or other materials. Contamination may occur across an entire site, such as an industrial property, or in spots, such as concrete washouts and refueling areas. This damage can also occur in the backyards of homes when cat litter or engine oil is dumped, or where there has been excessive use of pesticides and herbicides.</p>
<p>Soil contamination often reduces aeration and water infiltration and sometimes may kill tree roots. Keep this in mind when choosing a planting site to avoid <a href="/pages/68975/soil-problems-in-urban-areas-affecting-successful-tree-growth-and-development" class="internal_link">soil problems that will affect successful tree growth and development</a>,</p>
<p>To learn this content and more for ISA and SAF credit, go to <a href="http://cfegroup.org" class="external_link">cfegroup.org</a>!</p>
<p>To learn this content and more for volunteer hours and a certificate of completion, enroll in eLearn Urban Forestry at <a href="http://campus.extension.org/course/category.php?id=93" class="local_link">campus.extension.org</a>!</p>
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<p>Soil decontamination work on a restoration site.</p>
<p style="text-align: right"><em>Photo Credit:</em> <a href="http://www.epa.gov" class="external_link">www.epa.gov</a></p>
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<p><em><strong>By: Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, USFS Southern Region</strong></em></p> Contributors